Exercise: Selective Processing and Prominence.

Exercise: Selective processing and prominence.

When I produced the picture of Manston Airport for the Exploring Function exercise I left  it with a washed out and flat look to emphasise the fact that it was not in use.  The two characters at the back were just visible but only because one of them was wearing a hi-vis jacket.

In the first variation I have played with the contrast of the picture and lightened the hi-vis jacket.  This has made the man stand out more and made him a more prominent point in the scene.

In the second variation I have lightened the picture but not the contrast.  I have cloned the colour of the second mans jacket onto the hi-vis jacket to make the man almost disappear. 

Exercise: Balancing Figure and Space.

Exercise: Balancing Figure with space.

For this exercise I am producing two pairs of pictures.  The first pair were for the People Unaware section.   The first is as taken and has the subject firmly in the centre. There no balance to the picture and very little make one take a second look.  In the second I cropped out all the unwanted details and balanced the fishmonger against his display.  The picture now has interest and balance.

The next pair are pictures of the same scene but with different framing.  They were taken for the Single Figure Small exercise.  In the first the woman is in the centre of the picture and has no dynamic presence.  She is easily seen but there is no interest.  There is no balance to the picture and the large white area adds nothing to the composition.

In the second, produced for the exercise mentioned, I excluded most of the white area to the left and included more of the building to the right.  This area has nice subdued detailing and leads the eye away from the single small figure.  As I said in the other exercise I left in a little of the white area as a small distraction.  By pushing the woman over to the left of the picture her small presence is balanced against the space to the right.

Exercise. Making People Unrecognisable.

Exercise: Making people unrecognisable.

First.

The first of this set I took for the single small figure exercise but realised it sat better in this set of pictures.  The scene is Sandwich Bay where I saw this lady walking her dog.  I waited until the dog walked out of shot and took this picture.  She is dominant in the picture but made unrecognisable by her size and because she is facing away.  

 Olympus E3. 70-300 @ 70mm. f4. 1.250sec.

Second.

Deal Pier is popular with sea anglers so it was a sure bet I would find a couple of locals there even on this cold day.  As I chatted to them it was revealed that it was the birthday of the guy in yellow.  I took this shot as I sang Happy Birthday to him.  They were both wrapped up warm against the wind, wore beards and had similar shaped faces.  I left their faces in the shade of the shelter so that a shadow was cast over them.  There eyes may have made them more recognisable but their sun glasses hid them from view.  Two peas in a pod.

Canon G1-X. 636mm. f8. 1/1000sec.

Third.

I wanted to get a shot where recognition was made difficult by motion blur.  I took a position on a bench in Deal High Street and waited.  The camera was prefocused and the shutter was set at 1/15sec.  The two people featured in the shot were actually together but in the picture it looks like they are racing.  Quite pleased with the result.

Canon G1-X. f8. 25mm. 1/15.  ND filter employed.

Four.

Self portrait after Henri Cartier-Bresson.  Taken in my house with an over head light as the only illumination.  My wife held up a large black back cloth.  The shadow from the hat casts a deep shadow on my face leaving only my hands and part of the camera illuminated.  My left eye looked rather dead and flat so I popped in a very small highlight.  I converted it to black and white as a homage to the famous picture of HCB by Jane Bown. 

 Canon G1-X. 60mm. f5.8. 1/10sec.

Exercise: A Single Figure Small.

Exercise: A single figure small.

First.

While out shopping I spotted an older lady sat in the entrance to the Town Hall.  Not very happy with the result.  The woman is too large in the shot.  The subdued tones help but she is too dominant.  In one version I made of this I cropped out the pipe and white feature to the left of the opening but this made the woman even more dominant and left her as the only real feature.  By leaving these details in the eye is distracted away from the woman.

Canon G1-X. 60.5mm. f5.8.  1/250sec.

Second.

I saw a lone figure walking along the sea edge.  I went on to The Pier and took this shot.  It is quite a busy scene with the view of the sea front buildings to the left, and the splashing waves to the right.  Here the figure is fulfilling a role by giving a feeling of scale but is not a dominant part of the picture.  Much happier with this one.

Canon G1-X. 60.5mm. f5.6. 1/250sec.

Third.

While waiting in the car park at Deal Station to take a picture for the busy traffic exercise I saw this young lady on the far platform.  Although she is only a small part of the composition her hair and form lift her out from the grey and straight lines of her surroundings.  

Olympus E3. 50-200 @ 72mm.f5.6. 1/200sec.

Exercise: Busy Traffic.

Exercise: Busy traffic.

Deal High Street seemed the obvious place to set up this shot.  It is a pedestrianized area bisected by a busy road.  At this junction is a pelican crossing.  I was hoping that the crossing would bunch up the pedestrians and as they surged across give a sense of direction and purpose.  Unfortunately the road traffic was so light the pedestrians were crossing at will and not waiting for the lights.  This led to a series of muddled crowd shots that lacked what I was after; a sense of purpose.

Canon G1-X. 60.4mm. f5.8. 1/250sec.

For the second attempt I went to Deal Station to capture the evening commuters as they arrived back from London.  These passengers arrive at the far platform and have to exit by a gate after crossing over a foot bridge.  This I hoped would give me the sense of direction and purpose I was after.  The sun came out to give some please back lighting and lift the colours quite nicely.  

Olympus E3. 50-200 @ 72mm. f5-6. 1/200sec.

Assignment Three: Buildings in Use.

Assignment Three: Buildings in Use.

Astor Theatre Deal.

For this assignment I have chosen building and locations with very different uses and problems.

 The first is The Astor Theatre in Deal. This an old theatre that serves ass much more than a theatre.  The old balcony is now blanked off and is a useful space for wedding receptions, parties, committee meetings and various fitness classes.  On each Friday morning the main body of the theatre acts as a venue for a Tai Chi class is held for the older and less mobile.  It is a time that this group can get together for company and gentle exercise.

Olympus E3 with a 7-14 lens for the first three and  14-54 for the last. 

Two radio controlled flashes, one each side held by assistants.  The flashes were fitted with small difusers to soften the light.  I chose this lens as its short focal length would isolate the subject from the background.  

This is a shot of the hall set out for the class as seen from the position of the participants.   The hall is lit only by tungsten lights.  

The following are pictures of the ladies exercising.  

Ramsgate Station.

The morning I went to Ramsgate Station for the assignment the temperature was below freezing and it was snowing.  

I set out to try and show movement in a still picture by using a slow shutter speed.  Whilst not the busiest of stations, I managed to catch it at peak time for the various school runs.

The station building goes back to the 1850s and has managed to retain many of it’s Victorian features.  The main entrance has echoes of a much grander period of travel with it’s decorative arched ceiling and ornate lighting.  I employed a slow shutter speed of 1/8sec to get some movement into the shot, which has both static and motion blurred people.  When I had finished straightening the picture I realised I had cut the feet off of the the girl nearest to me.  I had a second go but have gone with this version as by leaving the picture she has given the scene a direction.

Canon G1-X. Hand held at 1/8sec. f5.6. 15.1mm.

For the next two I had Daido Moriyama and his station pictures in mind and took a number of shots from one platform across to another. 

In the first I have, as in the last one, tried to indicate movement; in this case a group of students herding past other passengers in there rush to leave the platform.  Amongst the motion blurred faces of the students heading right is one women who is facing left.  There is also one lady to the left of shot tending to her luggage who seems unaware of the passing scrum.  In another crop of this picture I left out this lady but I prefer this version.

Canon G1-X. Hand held at 1/25sec. f5.8. 60.4mm.

The second is of two people just waiting for their train and lost in their own thoughts.  Rather than have the subjects in the centre I have intentionally put them to the right and balanced their position with the gap between the carriages.   

Canon G1-X. Hand  held at 1/25sec. f5.8 60.4mm.

Band Stand and Shelter.

Deal is a summer town that comes to life when the sun comes out.  In the winter, and particularly in poor weather, it can look a pretty desolate place.  This morning I woke to find snow and a bitter easterly wind.  Good time to photograph some summer attractions.  The strength of the wind round the bandstand meant employing a fast shutter speed to stop excess camera shake.

The band stand stands on a slight promontory near Walmer Lifeboat Station.  I used it last year for the final assignment and it looked very different.  Filled with the Band of the Royal Marines and the surrounding grassed area hidden under a sea of onlookers.  Its slightly elevated position acts to draw ones attention to it.  I took the first picture from low down to emphasize its isolation and framed it against the grey sky.  I did a greyscale version but decided that the colour version worked best as the slight red in the building contrasted the bleakness of the rest of the picture.

Canon G1-X. 15.1mm. f3.5. 1/1600sec.

The second shot highlights the emptiness of Deal and Walmer on a cold wintry day.  Again I shot from a low position to give a level base line to all the buildings and to lift the bandstand out from the background.  To the left of the bandstand are three fishermen’s huts.  The line and rise of the huts roofs leeds the eye right and up to the main feature of the picture. The footpath that runs in front of these huts is completely empty.  In post production I lit the inside of the stand to show some structure and colour.

Canon G1-X. 19mm. f5.6. 1/1250sec.

The seafront shelter is another structure that wasn’t getting much use.  Built in the 1950s their modernist lines reflect that post war era.  As well as looking good it is a very practical place to sit and watch the world go by as its broad roof keeps off both the sun and the rain but is still completely open.  On this day, however, there was no chance of it being used.

The first picture shows the snow caught in the angles of the roof supports.  I have used the structure to frame the rough sea and the pier.  An inviting spot most of the year but not today.

Canon G1-X. f5.6. 26mm. 1/1250sec. 

The second is from the sea side.  Like the view of the bandstand it shows the empty promenade.  The only signs of life being three sets of footprints and the tyre marks left by a council van that was emptying the rubbish bins.  I like the way the buildings in the street behind lead the eye through the picture and the last building on the left, The Royal Hotel, acts as a full stop. 

Canon G1-X. F5.6. 25mm. 1/1250sec.

Deal Library.

Deal Library was founded in 1889 and moved to it’s current location in Broad Street in 1976.  It is a modern space with curved shelving that leads you through the various sections.  There is a children section as well as a study and research area complete with computers and a microfiche reader.  The library has a light, airy and friendly feel to it with comfortable seating and helpful staff.

I produce the first two pictures to show the general scheme, one towards the children’s section and one towards the study area.  As there were children present I did not attempt to get closer to that area.  There are large posters on the walls featuring local scenes.

The third is a view of a bookshelf from where I sat to obtain the last picture which is of two men reading the morning papers.

Canterbury Cathedral.

On Thursday 21st. March, Justin Welby will be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury.

This seemed a good reason to go and see how the Cathedral was being prepared and to make comparison between the very public main part and the quieter and more reflective minor chapels within its walls.  I know I am supposed to comment on the design purpose of the buildings and how this works but in this case feel any comment by me on this would be superfluous.  I comment only on the way it was being prepared for this enthronement.  The newly laid red carpet leads the eye up to where the enthronement will take place.  The simple altar is thus raised above the main floor and will make the ceremony clear to all.  The enthronement does not take place at the main altar, where it would be lost in the background of this magnificent building, but is brought forward to this spot where the action will be beautifully framed by the background.

There was television lighting and the necessary cabling, everywhere but it was not in use.  I have tried to exclude it from the picture.  All the shots were hand held.  For such slow speeds I was pleased with the results.  A little noise reduction in post production made the pictures acceptable.

Canon G1-X.  f5.6. 1/80sec. 15.1mm.  ISO 1600.

Down in the crypt I found this small chapel.  Very different and very private.  While having no faith myself I can understand how a space like this would work to bring a believer closer to his God.  I had to be a bit sneaky as there were no photography signs all over this part of the Cathedral. 

Canon G1-X. f5.6. 1/20sec. 15.1mm.  ISO 3200.

At 1100hours each day a page of the book of remembrance is turned and a prayer is said for those Men of Kent and Kentish Men who fell in battle.  A moving ceremony that attracted quite a crowd.  At no time do the participants face outwards.

Canon G1-X. f5.6. 1/80sec. 40mm. ISO 1600.

The last is the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered.  This is a very public area designed for private prayer.

Canon G1-X. f5.6 1/50sec. 15.1mm. ISO 1600.

Exercise: How the Space Changes With Light.

Exercise: How the space changes with light.

Dover Castle should need no introduction and I am not going to give it one other than to say that it sits high on the Downs above the town. 

It is only ten minutes drive from my house and seemed ideal for this exercise.

I wanted to see what effect that the sun would have on the Castle through the day and from two locations roughly opposite each other. I watched the weather forecasts and saw that today,  the 4th. March, would bring clear sunny conditions.  The day before the shoot I scouted out two likely positions, one to the east and one to the west.  

Olympus E3. 50-200 lens.  Tripod.

I present my pictures in pairs; the shot from the east first.  They were taken at similar times.

Before 7am.

The warm early sun is picking up the sandstone beautifully.  The texture of the Castle is rather flattened by the full on light and the long lens I was using.

The scene from the west is very different.  The low sun to the left of shot is allowing some colour on the left side of the Castle and giving a little texturing but the rest of the structure is picking up the cold blue of the clear sky.

At about 11am.

The sun is high in the sky and hitting the South side of the Castle full on with sharp shadows and highlighting the Castle's many angles.

The sun is now high and to the right of shot with almost none falling on this part of the structure.  This has put the Castle in near silhouette with only the outline visible.  There is more detail available to Photoshop but I wanted the picture to appear as taken.

At about 2pm.

In this one the sun is now high up but the other side of the Castle and giving a similar effect to the last picture.  The is little sign of direct sun light except for some roof areas.  It looks misty but I think this was a feature of shooting into the sun.

The sun is now directly to the right of the Castle as we view it.  It is highlighting the battlements in the foreground and is hitting the top of the grass bank.  It gives the Castle a purposeful and powerful look.

 Between 5pm and 5.30pm.

As can be seen the sun is very low in the sky and is throwing the Castle in to silhouette.  I took a number of pictures of this scene.  In some I included the sun and in some I excluded it.  Despite the slight lens flare I went with this one as the one that best represented what I could see.

The scene from the other side was very different.  I was hoping that the orange colour of the sun would put more warmth into the shot but it was not to be.  The angle of the sun hitting the side of the Castle gives some nice modelling with a little bit of colour.  

This exercise confirmed what I imagined would happen; the best pictures would be the late afternoon ones using the setting sun.  

Exercise: The User's View.

Exercise. The User's View.

For this exercise I returned to my list and picked out four likely venues.  Two churches, the community hall and the Pier Cafe.  Because of the public nature of two of them I chose to use my Canon G1-X.

The first location was St Andrews Church in Deal which is the fishmongers’ church and was build mid 19th century.  As soon as I entered could see problems with the lighting.  Although the altar end of the church was will lit the body of the church was in total darkness.  Workmen were working on the side windows and had blocked off all available light.  Despite this I attempted to show the church from the position of one at prayer.  I took pictures only from the one position because I did not wish to disturb the peace of the man shown in the left of shot.    I have managed to dodge in a little detail in the window and in the two paintings which were pretty burned out. 

 Canon G1-X.  26mm. f4.5. 1/20sec.

I walked on to St Georges Church, which is Deal’s Civic Church and dates back to the early 17th century, that I know from past visits has better lighting.  Because the church was empty I had more freedom of movement and took advantage of this by showing the space from both both sides of the lectern.  St Georges is well lit but from a variety of sources.  There are large windows down each side that filter the light through stained glass and two colours of mood lighting; green for the lower part and mauve for the upper.  What I show here is not some dreadful colour caste.  When one is there the eye soon adapts to this odd lighting and it becomes quite soothing, but when viewed in a photograph the eye and brain can’t make the necessary adaptations.  The church is a good example of bad usage.  What was once a well illuminated open space was ruined by the Victorians who put in the light blocking balcony that runs round the whole church cutting off most of the natural available light and which is never used.  In recent times the old pews have been discarded and replaced by modern chairs.  

The first view is, again, taken from the position of a person at prayer and shot from a low position. 

Canon G1-X. 15.1mm. f3.5. 1/10sec.

The second is taken from the celebrants position looking down at where the congregation would sit.  I was surprised by the commanding position given by such a modest elevation. 

Canon G1-X. 15.1mm. f3.5. 1/13sec. (Hand held)

As I went to leave I was struck by the beauty of the stained glass in the side entrance.  I had to share it.

Canon G1-X. 15.1mm. f3.5. 1/80sec.

My next port of call was The Pier Cafe.  What I wanted was maximum DoF so that everything from the menu on my table through to the serving area would be in focus.  I chose the camera’s smallest stop of f16 which, even at ISO800, gave an exposure time of 1/8 sec.  The slow shutter speed forced me to put the camera on the table and I propped it up to the angle I required with the available cutlery.  The view is lower than the one I wanted but to set up even a mini tripod would have been intrusive.  I tried a number of versions of this shot.  Some with the waitress and some without.  I chose this because it includes her, and with the slow shutter speed, puts in a bit of action. 

Canon G1-X. 15.1mm. f16. 1/8sec.

I called in to our local community centre and took a number of shots of the two reception volunteers, one being my wife. 

The first one shows the view a member of the public would get on entering the foyer.  When I looked at this shot the place looks rather unfriendly and a bit intimidating with its high counter top and two receptionist.  Anyone approaching the desk has either to address both receptionist, or rather rudely ignore one.

   

In the second shot the situation changed dramatically.  Gone is the barrier of the high counter and the visiter is effectively speaking to only one person.  Far more friendly.

When I next work at the centre I will bear this exercise in mind.