feedback on assignment 2 and amendments

I have received feedback on my second assignment and am including the feedback along with the original assignment in this blog. As part of the feedback it was suggested that I include the original un-manipulated images as the processing of the photo's to mimic Infrared has concealed detail making it difficult to assess whether there are any technical issues which I have to address. 

In order for everything to make sense I have included the assignment along with  provide my tutor's feedback with the images submitted for the assignment and the original images in black and white but without the infrared processing.

The Art of Photography

Assignment 2: Elements of Design

This assignment focused on graphic elements within a photograph. To accentuate this I decided to, as suggested in the introductory paragraph of the chapter, remove colour from the equation. I did not want to just present a series of monochromatic prints but rather I wanted to use this assignment as an opportunity to try and convey a message, through the specific effects.

We were given a choice of subjects with the restriction that all the photographs are of the same subject matter. I settled on exploring my own subject, Sicily, taking predominantly landscape / architectural types of photographs with the aim of challenging the viewer to see beyond the obvious subject matter.

The aim was to draw on the inherent conflicts within Sicily, a land weighted by an ancient heritage and tradition and yet brimming with modern ideals. This conflict is not immediately apparent on the surface but that message is obvious once one looks beyond the holiday destination to the ingredients within the infrastructure: past, present and looking to the future. I eventually settled on an infrared effect.  I do not have an infrared camera so I mimicked the effect in Photoshop (although I did not use the specific infrared filter in Photoshop but rather used  various techniques to mimic the effect).  I settled on this effect because infrared photography accentuates different tones and highlights in the subject and in turn demands that the message be looked at in a different way too.

The brief was to produce a series of at least 10 photographs

1.     Single point dominating the composition
2.    Two points
3.   Several points in a deliberate shape
4.  A composition of vertical and horizontal lines
5. Diagonals
6. Curves
7. Distinct even if irregular shapes
8. At least two implied triangles
9. Rhythm
10. Pattern

Single point dominating the composition

original picture

Submitted picture

The temple at Segesta

Aperture: f4

Shutter speed: 1/640

ISO: 100

Focal length: 67mm on a full frame sensor

Tutor's comments: "Good, if not very original, arrangement of shapes. Parts of the field appear out of focus, is that something to do with the infra red effect?"

My reply:  Agreed that it was not a very original composition and that's why I tried to balance the static composition of the temple by framing the landscape to create movement within the picture. The whole aim of this project was to draw the viewer's attention away from the obvious to find the tensions surrounding Sicily within the pictures. The message I want to convey in this picture is that despite longstanding traditions and customs (the temple) which are static and unwavering, life in Sicily is full of movement and energy. As far as the softness is concerned, part of that is because of the infrared effect, I used Gaussian blur and added noise in photoshop, but looking at the standard B&W photo I can See that it is still quite soft. I think in part it's because I was using a zoom lens and took the shot from quite a distance away, focusing solely on the temple. The aperture was wide open and that in of itself was always going to produce a soft foreground.

Two points

Archaeological ruins at Segesta

Aperture: f18

Shutter speed: 1/100

ISO: 800

Focal length: 80 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length: 128mm)

Tutor's comments: "The two columns are well placed but everything is a bit middle distance, some foreground interest would make a difference".

My reply: oh dear, looks like I failed miserably on this one. The two points I was focusing on were the ruins and the burning bush. With the bush being partly framed by the ruins. Whereas I think my tutor has interpreted the shot as the two walls of the ruined house as being the two points.In other words the dynamic of this shot was for the eye to be led to the bush via the ruined structure. Again working on the theme that ultimately  while static and unwavering traditions survive, what thrives and prospers is adaptability and resourcefulness.  Despite the lack of success, this is still my favourite shot of the series. I look at it and glows with force. 


Several points in a deliberate shape 

Vineyard and windmills, Provincia di Agrigento

Aperture: f11

Shutter speed: 1/400

ISO: 400

Focal length: 260 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length: 416 mm)

Tutor's comments: "This has got some foreground interest and a lot of foreshortening which gives it an almost abstract, flat look. The sky and windmills are all a bit grey compared to the foreground, as though from a different picture, it might be worth increasing the contrast in the sky area."

My reply:
Agreed but I would add that this is not a composite picture but a single exposure. It was taken from a distance so the zoom has flattened the image.

A combination of vertical and horizontal lines

 

















The temple at Segesta

Aperture: f5

Shutter speed: 1/125

ISO: 100

Focal length: 70 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length: 112mm)

Tutor's comments: "This is interesting. It is divided up well, plenty of depth and everything in focus. Nicely lit."

My reply: This shot clearly demonstrates the different highlights that an infra red photograph brings out in a picture with the original photograph feeling quite flat by comparison. I think this photo really does encourage the viewer to look at a fairly quaint scene and see it in a different way. a sort of "secret garden" right before your eyes.

Diagonals

Capturing the sun (a study of solar panels), Provincia di Agrigento

Aperture: f10

Shutter speed: 1/30

ISO: 100

Focal length: 70 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length: 112mm)

 

Tutor's Comments: "A very interesting composition, again almost abstract and very well balanced and the curvy road leading the eye in to the diagonals."

My reply: Thank you. I framed it so that the general landscape flowed in the same way as the solar panels.Interestingly after reviewing the photoshop on my pc I noticed the individual rows of panels themselves create  perpendicular  diagonals to the upward slant of the panels as a whole. 

Curves

A29, Trapani

Aperture: f16

Shutter speed: 1/125

ISO: 500

Focal length: 115 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length-184mm)

Tutor's Comments: "Marvellous! An excellent composition. The only slight quibble I would have is that if you had tilted the camera down a little bit the road would have started from the corner of the frame which I think would have been better."

My reply: Thank you!

Distinct, even if irregular, shapes

Criss-Cross, cross my heart

Aperture: f16

Shutter speed: 1/125

ISO: 500

Focal length: 115 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length-184mm)

Tutor's comments: "Another good composition, they are not really irregular though they are fairly regular triangles. I like the little tangle of grass at the front."

My reply: I interpreted the instruction Distinct shapes, even if they are irregular, i.e. they did not have to be irregular. point taken though. Post processing this shot momentarily competed with the pillars for rhythm but I decided that it should remain as my example of distinct shapes.

At least two kinds of implied triangle

Untitled

Aperture: f9

Shutter speed: 1/80

ISO: 100

Focal length: 45mm on a full frame sensor

Tutor's comments: "I like the symmetry and the steps coming down and the figure and the textures. The picture is a bit unresolved at the bottom with his legs being chopped off like that and the ground bleeding off into the border."

My reply: I framed this shot to include implied triangles on the steps (3) as well as the photographer (2) including the negative space between his legs. I think the non IR version works better.

Pattern

 

Quilt

Aperture: f11

Shutter speed: 1/25

ISO: 100

Focal length: 300 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length-480 mm)

Tutor's comments: "The long lens helps with the foreshortening to flatten everything and make it into a pattern."

My reply: Not sure I completely understand this feedback. I took the photograph because the arrangement of the field looked like quilt to me.  I had wrestled with myself as to which photo I would use because I had taken a few including the following:

Ultimately it was a subjective choice but I felt that of these  photographs, the field fitted in and was more in keeping with, the general theme of the work.

Rhythm

Waves

Aperture: f5

Shutter speed: 1/160

ISO: 100

Focal length: 70 mm on a 1.6x crop sensor (effective focal length-112mm)

Tutor's comments: "Very good sense of rhythm. I think a bit more contrast would help, it looks a bit grey."

My reply: Hopefully the unaltered image addresses the contrast and softness issues. again I would stress that film IR photographs tend to be soft and grainy taking away that punchy sort of feel you get with digital photography  and which I am quite bored with at the moment.

 

Sicily beyond the visible

So after quite sometime deciding how to tackle my next assignment I decided that I would present the assignment using some sort of effect on the photographs to convey a message demanding that the viewer look beyond the obvious. The brief for the assignment was to take compositional photographs concentrating on elements of design. The photographs had to be thematically consistent. I decided on illustrating the those elements within the "landscape" theme and particularly concentrating on Sicily. My aim was to draw on the inherent conflicts within Sicily which is a land weighted by an ancient heritage and yet brimming with modern ideals. This conflict is not immediately apparent on the surface but that message is obvious once one looks beyond the holiday destination to the ingredients within the infrastructure: past, present and looking to the future. I eventually settled on an infrared effect. I don't have an infrared camera so I mimicked the effect in photoshop (beyond just using the filter! I relied on a tut from  photoradar ). I settled on this effect because infrared photography accentuates different tones and highlights in the subject and in turn demanding that message be looked at in a different way too.

Interview with a Photographer

Martin Parr speaks to Photoradar: December 2009

Not part of the course, but I thought I'd try those magazine tutorials....

I seem to buy a lot of photography magazines,  pouring over their photographs, reading articles pro's and what they are doing atm and invariably putting their tutorials to the side with the good intention of trying them out one day... no more. that day has come. So instead of working thru' the coursework this evening, I've decided to buckle down and give those tuts a go.. I'll even use their photographs!

 

First off was the supersampler... it's worked but because I decided to add a border to it it embossed the the dividing lines too. Not sure I'm that keen on the embossing effect!

start image

Final image

 Next I tried an antiquing effect which I must say was quite time consuming and probably needs a bit more practice but, I think that overall it was a good result turning a modern crisp digital image into something a little more romantic and  a little less hard on the eyes. I love it. I had tried different effects before using my own techniques but that left the images always looking a little washed out and indistinct. This is definitely a technique I will use again.  So I'll set out the main points of how it was done but you can also find the tutorial in the May 2011 issue of Photoplus (Canon Edition) magazine:

1.  Create a border  using layers and resizing the canvass to 110%
2. Rough up the border again using the layers palette and selecting the brush tool (Hard Pastel on Canvas) setting size to about 60px- blur it using the Gaussian Blur effect
3. Increase the contrast by creating a monochrome layer and using levels set white highlight to about 215 and black shadow slider to about 30
4. Create diffuse highlights by setting the monochrome layer's blending mode to luminosity and setting opacity at around 40%
5. Then desaturated the yellows to -55 from the image to give the photo a colder feel and then desaturate the master saturation down to about -35
6. To create a light leakage effect (and i struggled a bit with this one) you create a new layer  and selecting that layer with the background copy. using brush tool select the foreground colour to orange and paint over the edges bringing opacity down to about 57%
7. finally use a vignetting effect to focus the attention n the boat.

Assignment 1: Contrasts- feedback and adjustments

Feedback on assignment

Rounded/Diagonal
Rounded
The shapes are good and the arrangement in the rectangle is good but you can’t have complete black with no detail or texture in a photograph, it’s like looking into a black hole.

Diagonal
Well it is a diagonal but you can’t generally get away with pure abstracts in photography, people tend to want to know what it is, perhaps if you had it in focus and a glint of light on the edge of the blade it might work better.

Few/Many
Few
Good clouds, good hills. If you had got down a bit lower you could have made more of the grasses in the foreground and got rid of those wires.


Many
Good idea. I think I might have had a little less sky, made the top of the buildings about a third down because the patterns and rhythm of the buildings is so interesting and strong.












High/Low
High
Interesting that you have not done a literal description of “high”. Good and skillful use of selective focusing.

Low
Same as above, good depth of field (from now on d.o.f.)

Hard/Soft
Hard
Yes, that’s hard and some interesting colours and shapes, in fact the colours and shapes are so interesting I would have less of the blank part on the right.

Soft
Good exposure and the arrangement of shapes works well.

Liquid/Solid
Liquid
Good shapes and colours but I can’t see any of it in focus, it all looks a bit out.












Solid
Even though it looks like liquid it is in fact solid.
Lots of energy in this one and a certain ambiguity.

Moving/Still
Moving
Good movement and a slashing diagonal for a bit of excitement.

Still
I don’t think that this really a photograph about stillness, it is a movement frozen by photography which is not the same thing.

Rough/Smooth
Rough
It is the right texture, well exposed and focussed but not very interesting as a picture, it needs something else in it.

Smooth
Quite interesting shapes but it needs something to give it scale and context, a fly maybe.

Dark/Light
Dark
Normally one would say that the figure in the picture was blurred and out of focus but I think this adds to the atmosphere. I think the flame needs to be less white, more colour and texture required in the flame.

Light
It is exciting but again the flame is over-exposed.

Dark and Light
Good colours, good shapes, a little figure in it would add a lot to make it interesting; scale, context, narrative content.