Research starts in the pub

I was talking with a friend in the pub today and as the conversation meandered around various things it paused for a time around the background research that I am trying to do for this course.  Composition, perspective, light, my preference for landscapes all were covered including the need to identify individuals who's work I like/appreciate/want to learn from.  In the way that pub conversations do come back to subjects he later suggested that I had a look at Brassai, Caspar David Freidich and Andre Bretton.

First google search for Brassai.
Brassaï (pseudonym of Gyula Halász) (9 September 1899–8 July 1984) was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker.

Although he lived until 1984 most of the images that came up in an image search were black and white from the 1930's.  Immediately struck by several of the images.  All those shown were low light shots.  A mixture of candid people shots and night scenes from Paris.

Particularly taken by the images below.  Very atmospheric.  Taken 70+ years ago yet still incredibly sharp.

Foggy Paris - 1934

This shot is the first image that I found for Brassai, incredibly atmospheric.  Great detail in the trees and bench with the fog blurring much of the rest of the image.  Do you follow the path of the street lamps or the lights of the car first?  Simple street scene or something more?  The various light sources emphasise the fog.

Under one of the Seine Bridges - 1933

Great use of light and absence of light. The light on the bridge enabling details of tree and building to be captured, but the story is in the dark below. Almost completely dark, just the arch allowing some light into the scene with reflection in the river.

Use of thirds and framing in separate elements of the image.

Open Gutter - 1933

Another low light image, but still very sharp.

The eye naturally follows the gutter as it meanders up through the image.

Obelisk and fountains in the

Place de la Concorde   

1933               

The tiered fountain to the left occupies the first third of the image.  Initially the obelisk draws the eye until you start to follow the lines of water.  Long exposure evident from the way that the drops of water have blurred to form a translucent sheet.  Great detail on the statues.

Les Escaliers de Montmartre - 1936

This image is almost counter intuitive, the trees and the first of the lanterns lead your eyes upward, then you realise that he perspective on the steps is actually leading you downward.  There is a real sense of depth with this image.  The lack of people mad the lenght of shadow identify tha this was taken either very early of very late in the day.  I like this image more as I come back to it.



Seville - 1952-53

So what is the story here?  Just stopping for a chat in the street, confession, passing secrets, none of the above?

Dawn at Hilton Gravel Pits sssi (17 Oct 2010)

The weather forecast had indicated a clear bright start to the day.  Little or no wind so the chance of mist in the early morning.

I do not possess a tripod yet so hand-held it is (mini-tripod will be taken with me just in case).  Will be using standard kit lens.  The gravel pits at Hilton are an area that I have walked regularly over a number of years, during the summer months I lead a walking group out of the village and we regularly take the route that I intend to walk this morning.  In preparation for this I have taken the camera with me to take a few images that will give me a feel for specific locations within the reserve.  Have only had the camera since June and have undertaken this course to get used to the equipment.  Lighting conditions will be mixed and changing with time.  The image stabilisation within the camera has been turned on to allow me to take hand-held shots down to 1/15th-1/30th with a reasonable outcome.

Forecast for a cold morning so need appropriate clothing.  Although I know the area well it will be necessary to be careful around the water as light will be at a minimum.

On arrival at the old gravel pits the mist had started rising off of the water.  The surrounding trees masked the changes to the sky and light. It was a cold morning, whoever had spent the night fishing must have been freezing.  The break in the trees gave me my first view of the lake and provided a frame for the shot.  The first pinks of the morning sky just appearing over the tree line reflecting in the water.  Need to work out how to expose a shot to record the mist accurately rather than just as a blur.

Pre-dawn fishing

Manual hand-held, resting on fence post

15mm, F11, 1/15th ISO200

Walking to the nature reserve before dawn gave me the opportunity to witness the transformation of the sky from night to day.  The change in colours as the sun rose became spectacular, with gold's almost looking liquid in texture.  Keeping the shutter speed fairly high kept the foreground in silhouette and prevented over exposure of the sky.  The bank of clouds in the east almost looks like a range of hills in the distance, providing a false horizon just below the bottom third line.

Aproaching dawn, Lucas Lane

Manual, hand held

17mm, F4, 1/125th, ISO200

The sun not having risen above the tree line turned the sky golden, reflecting similar colours in the waters surface.  I need a tripod!  I need gloves!  Don't breath near a metal-bodied camera when it's this cold. 

Using the tree line as the horizon allows 2/3rds of the frame for sky, making the most of the colours and cloud that the morning has provided.  There is very little wind resulting in the lake surface being almost like a mirror.  Exposing for the sky allows the use of a relatively small aperture, enhancing the depth of field.

First Light, mist rising

Manual, hand held

18mm, F16, 1/250, ISO200

As the sun rose I stepped back from the shoreline to bring some of the foreground into the shot to act as a frame.  The winch adds to the composition as a reminder that this nature area is actually man-made, the lagoon resulting from many years of gravel extraction.  The increasing light levels increase the strength of the reflections.  The flare around the rising sun was not intended, but I like the effect.



Dawn sun flare

Manual hand held

18mm, F16, 1/250, ISO200

Time to change position.  As I walk through the wood I realise how lucky I am to live near this place, which this morning I have all to myself.  The trees frame the path with both the path and the tree trunks forming lead in lines.  The gold of the sun starting to streak through the trees adds to the atmosphere, enhancing something that would otherwise be fairly ordinary.  Still trying to stick to the rule of thirds, using the waters edge through the trees as the horizon line.

Early morning woodland

Manual hand held

34mm, F8, 1/60th, ISO400

A new waterfront site.  With the sun a little higher the rising mist becomes more evident.  More thought about composition of the shot.  Tree line at 1/3rd, sun through the tree at 1/3rd, good reflection and strong frame with the tree on the bank.  This is one of my favourites from the morning.  Throughout the morning I have struggled to capture the mist over the water accurately - almost there with this one.

Misty morning

Manual, Hand held

15mm, F16, 1/125, ISO200

Took more time to look at the composition in this shot.  Clear use of the rule of thirds with the mushroom itself positioned at the first 1/3 vertical line and the head of the fruit at the junction of the 1^st horizontal and vertical lines.  This was the first of three shots. Used the in camera macro programme to help identify potential setting for the following two.  This programme pushed the ISO to 800 which has allowed a very clear image to be taken.  The result of this is an image that is a lot brighter than the ambient, dawn light that was present.

The aperture is set very large, allowing more light to reach the sensor, but more importantly limiting the depth of field, blurring both foreground and background.

The red of the mushroom and the green of the moss stand out well against the autumnal colours of the leaf litter.

I did consider moving some of the leaf litter, but decided against it. 

This is the image as taken; the only change has been to reduce the size of the file to ease uploading.

Fly agaric

Macro programme, mini tripod

26mm, F4.5, 1/13th, ISO800 



First of 2 fully manual shots.  This Fly agaric was about 12 inches away from the previous shot, very close to the bank of the gravel pit itself - you can just about make out the water through the foliage at the top of the shot.  To cut out the relfection it was necessary to get in very close.

The colours in this image are much closer to those on site.  Early morning, Autumn sun, very gold hue.  Have kept the aperture open to narrow the depth of field.  Chose to use an ISO of 200 to increase detail captured.  As I was using a mini-tripod it was possible to use a longer exposure time to make up for the lower ISO.

The reds, greens and golds make the image look very warm, unlike the close to freezing air temperature that was the case.

Fly agaric, woodland floor

Manual, mini tripod

26mm, F4.5, 1/8th, ISO 200

While I liked certain elements of the previous image I wanted to get more detail of the mushroom itself.  Reduced the height of the tripod, moved in closer and reduced the focal length of the lens.  Have increase the detail of the Fly Agaric and the surrounding leaf litter, but lost some of the balance of the composition. 

Fly agaric, woodland floor ii
Manual, mini tripod
19mm, F4, 1/8th, ISO200

Woodland gravel pit

Manual hand held

26mm, F11, 1/125 ISO400 

Misty Dawn reflected

Manual, hand held

18mm, F11, 1/125, ISO100



Woodland walk

Manual, hand held

14mm, F4, 1/60th, ISO200

Tim Parkin

http://www.timparkin.co.uk/

While researching landscape photographers you get a growing appreciation for how diverse the UK is (although you do see some areas more represented than others).  For years I used to travel around the country with the sole aim of visiting mountains or the sea.  It has taken me a long time to appreciate the full diversity of what is on offer.

I came across the web site for Tim Parkin yesterday lunchtime.  The images on display immediately struck a chord, bringing back places and times in my past.  For me there is a natural quality to the images.

Tim has been taking photographs since his teens, however, has concentrated on large format photography since 2007.  His website states that he has only focused on landscape photography since his 40's.  In spite of this he has featured in the photographer of the year exhibition at National Theatre.  Tim primarily works in the North of England and in Scotland.

Clachaig, Glencoe, Scotland

lens: 80mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/4.5

speed: 1s

aperture: f/22

nd filters: 0.6H

other filters: Centre Filter

"...whilst I was taking the large format version, I waited for the patchy sunlight to highlight the middle ground but to leave shadows on the background and to be diffused in the foreground. I also took three other pictures with light on foreground, dark background and other combinations. All but the first shot I took look terrible. The mixed light conditions looked wonderful though. Amazing what a few seconds difference can make.. "   Tim Parkin

This image just makes me want to go out walking for the day.  The wall, acting as a lead in line, points the way to go - up.  The wall also mirrors the line formed between hill and sky.  There is a wonderful clarity throughout the image, the depth of field being determined by the small f22 aperture. 

Tim Parkin points out that he took 4 pictures of this view, with the final choice being determined by the quality of light.  As well as thinking about light in general this has started me thinking about using light to enhance the composition itself.

The differing colours and textures are enhanced by the lighting.

location:Glencoe, Scotland

lens: 80mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/4.5

speed: 30s

aperture: f/32

nd filters: 0.9H 

'By the side of one of the fishing piers was one of the most pristine Fly Agaric mushrooms I have ever seen. ... I didn't want to capture a typical 'flora' shot and ended up balancing my camera on the floor, supported by a couple of books, in order to bring in the background to give some context to the picture. The mushroom looks enormous here but in reality was only about two inches high.'    Tim Parkin

This image has been taken using an aperture of f32, which would typically have been used to maximise depth of field.  In this instance the subject is close to the lens and the use of the small aperture and an nd filter have enabled a long exposure, 30seconds, allowing the capture of a very detailed image.  The fly agaric looks almost velvet in texture.  Leaf litter and the colours in the trees confirm to the viewer that his has been taken in the Autumn.  The primary focus on the mushroom is almost central to the shot, almost looking superimposed.  If taken out the background would appear to conform to the rule of thirds, both  with the edge of the water nd the edge of the tree.

location

Holy Island, Lindesfarne

lens

110mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/5.6

speed

1/8

aperture

f/22

tilt/swingnd filters

0.6S

 The mountainous terrain in miniature was the initial attraction and the curve of the wall leading to a spiral around the castle. The ring is only about 2 inches across but the use of a 110mm lens (about 24mm on a 35mm SLR) and the looming perspective distortion of back tilt makes it look big enough to moor a supertanker. This is still work in progress as I'm not enamoured of the light or sky, but the composition works for me.                       Tim Parkin        

As highlighted by Parkin himself the perspective is one of the most striking elements of this image.  The colours are also very striking with the rust relfecting the natural background colours. This image conforms to the rule of thirds more than other images that are on the website.

Slime

location: Broadhaven, Polzeath

lens: 24-105

speed: 1/60

aperture: f/16

"The colour contrast combined with the twisting textures of the rock being overgrown by the acid green seaweed provide an alien foreground, accentuated by the ominous sky"  Tim Parkin

Sharpe contrast of colours and use of diaganals make for a very striking image.

An Evening with Dennis Morris

http://www.dennismorris.com/

Expectations?

Not sure really.  The flyer that had been handed out was fairly basic.

Come & meet the International

photographer famous for his images of

Bob Marley

The Sex Pistols

Marianne Faithful

Oasis and many more

Wednesday 13th October

At least I had heard of the people that would be in the images - more than that I had listened to some of the music that they had made at the time.  That ages me.

So I turned up to see an exhibition of photographs only to be taken on a journey through time with Dennis Morris.  Not an exhibition then, but a talk that detailed the how and why he had become involved with photography and a potted history of the journey that that had taken him on illustrated with photographs taken at the time.

Throughout the evening Dennis talked in a gentle and entertaining manner, his passion for photography and music shining throughout.

Dennis, mid interview.

We went to see a photographer - the talk / exhibition was more than this it was about the person - his background, growing up, personal influences - part of Black History Month

Dennis displayed a love of reportage. Before this event I had associated this with photojournalism, news reporting, candid images (often from overseas wars) that capture a moment or an event.  So how does this fit with Bob Marley? 

http://www.reportage.org/  describes reportage as the neglected art of storytelling in pictures.  This makes more sense and the evening starts to fall into place.  The images that Dennis displayed do tell a candid story of time and place.  More than just the image of an individual, while listening to the tale these people become more real, memories of the time start to sneak in.

The iconic image from the evening.  Bob Marley in an image that features on record sleeves, news articles at the time and continues to be seen when he is talked about.

For me, though this was one of my favourite images of the evening,  illustrating a relaxed time before everything took off.

This image is from the Bob Marley, a rebel life exhibition.  Not shown on the evening, but one that illustrates the share joy of the time, relaxed, full of life, Bob Marley the person, not the legend.

In an age of digital where you can take 100's of images at little/no cost it's important to remember the that these were taken on cameras that were fully manual, when you could not be sure what you had captured until the image appeared through the chemicals.  When asked about kit ,Dennis gave a strong response that it was mainly about being able to see the image, anticipation developed through an understanding of the subject and some luck in being there.

Unit 208 - a start

Two themes to be progressed, each to consist of a folio of images and supporting evidence.


Which comes first photos or themes?


Theme 1
Built environment
South Derbyshire Community Buildings.

Intention
The intention is to produce a series of photographs that explore the diversity of community buildings within South Derbyshire.  


Images will reflect the range of building style, attempting to explore how the form of the buildings has been impacted upon by function and place as well as how use has changed through time.

Reason for selection
My interest in this theme has developed as a result of the work that I undertake with communities throughout South Derbyshire.  While my work has a focus on people together with their wants, needs and desires I have often been struck by how focus can change from the people of the community to the buildings that are there to support them.  Does the change in form over time reflect a change in need?


Research / Photographic inspiration
Currently looking at various websites that concentrate on photographing buildings - although many of these concentrate on structures in urban areas rather than more rural location.  Research will be added as seperate blog updates through out the time of the course.

Additional research from textbooks has supported this work.  The following have been particularly useful -

• Photographing Buildings Inside and Out, Norman McGrath.  A lot of older, mainly US images.  Good for detail, perspective and use of light.
• Building with Light, Robert Elwall.  Describes itself as "The International History of Architectural Photography".  A really good place to start.  Images cover a wide range of subject from early images of the 19th centuary to more modern times.  Brief bigraphies of the photographer alongside of the image helps pull things into perspective.  Has been godd at identifying potential photographers to research further.

Equipment
Personal equipment is limited to Olympus Pen EP-1 + kit lens 14-42mm and an additional lens - 40-150mm. 

Tripod

Giotto - MTL9351B + MH5011 Kit

	Material	Aluminium
	Folded Height	71cm
	Min Height	30cm
	Max Height with out centre column	147cm
	Max height with centre column	180cm
	Weight	2.21kg
	Weight Capacity	4kg
	Leg Sections	3

Techniques

Throughout the time on this course I will be looking to develop a range of techniques and understanding supported by additional research that I will be undertaking looking at the work of different photographers.  Using the equipment outlined above I will be looking to develop an undertsanding of:

• Composition - looking at the make up of an image, what can help to make an image appealing, interesting to the viewer.  There are many things that contribute to this and are not unique to photography.  The aim from this is to try and understand ideas / rules that will help me develop my skills.
• Rule of thirds - dividing the image into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two verticle lines.  The rule identifies that it is desirable to place the subject of the picture at the intersection of these lines.  It also adds balance if the overall image is divided using this rule i.e. 1/3rd land, 2/3rds sky with the horizon falling along one of the imaginary third lines.
• Diagonals - the use of diagonals to encourage the viewers' eye to move into the image.
• Framing - using elements within the image to frome the main subject.  At it's simplest this could be using a doorway or arch in a building. 
• Golden Ration - refers to a naturally occuring ratio that is regularly seen in nature.  It has been recognised since early times that images that comform to this are attractive to the viewer.  A typical example can be seen in the spiral of a snail shell.
• Patterns - links with colour and texture.
• Use of light quality
• Recognition that the same view can look vastly different under differing lighting conditions.
• The "Golden time" either just after dawn or before sunset.
• Low light photography
• Depth of field - specifically looking at how the use of different apperture settings impact on the image taken.
• Leading lines - using elements of the composition / image to draw he viewrs iye into the image in a specific way to achieve the desiered rusult.
• Colours and textures - use of colours, blending / contrast to highlight specific elements of the image.
• Tripod use
• Timed shutter release 

Safety considerations

Throughout the course it will be necessary to consider health and safety, both self and others.

As both of my themes are targetting outdoor work this will include:

• An understanding of the expected weather conditions and it's impact on the need for specific clothing and equipment.
• Specific dangers related to the location - ground conditions, water, traffic, people etc.
• Use of equipment  - understand how to use specific elements of kit safely as well as other considerations such as weight etc.
• Aim to minimise impact on the environment and subject.  Location photography should not require damage to the location.

While exploring ideas for theme 2 I had been unable to access the reserve at Willington, South Derbyshire, due to flooding (which will have to feature as a safety issue if I am to take this forward within theme 2). 

However, in spite of this it turned out to be a fortunate trip - at 6pm the light was just changing and lack of access to the reserve gave me time to look at the surrounding area including the bridge across the Trent.

Willington Bridge 3rd October 2010

18mm, ISO 200, F5.6, 1/160th

I took a series of pictures of the bridge as the light changed.  I particularly liked the composition of this photograph - it has not been processed in any way, other than to reduce the size for the blog.  I looked to use the rule of thirds on some of the other images, but the reflections in the river were so clear that placing the horizon at the halfway point actually gave a more pleasing result, however the end of the bridge does fall at one of the third points and this has worked better than other images where this is not the case.

The colour of the stonework appears very true to how I remember it on this occasion. The low sun has given the usually grey looking stone a golden hue.

The image could have been sharper, as you look at the stone work of the bridge the image is a little soft.

Anyway it has reaffirmed that this is an area that I would like to work in as theme 2 develops.


Theme 2
Nature

Intention

To produce a series of photographs that reflect the character of the nature within South Derbyshire and the reserves developed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust as part of their Transforming the Trent Valley Project.

 Specific focus will be placed upon Hilton Gravel Pits, a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

Hilton Gravel Pits, nature reserve

The aim will be to show through photographs the changes that take place as seasons change from Autumn to Winter to highlight the natural world that is accessible to all within a couple of minutes walk of major housing developments.

Reasons

The communities along the A50 have undergone a period of rapid change.  South Derbyshire is one of the fastest growing Districts in England.  The village of Hilton has almost doubled in size over the last 10 years with the development of a huge housing estate that would be at home as a suburb of any of the larger towns and cities of the Midlands.

All of this can be left behind within a matter of minutes; accessing nature reserves that many do not realise are there.  They lack some of the drama of the Peak District, but are difficult to beat for tranquility.

http://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/projects/projects_trent_valley.php

Regular walks of these areas over several years have continually surprised me.  The continually changing scenes, wildlife and tranquility that is so accessible.


Research
Research will be undertaken throughout the term of he course using written text, internet, presentations and general course work.


Equip
The equipment is as identified above for theme 1


Techniques
Techniques are as identified for theme 1

Safety Considerations

For theme 2 all photography work will be outside, including at water based nature reserves.  These reserves have areas of rough paths, water (either deep quarry lakes or large flowing river), woodland and open scrub.  One of the reserves is heavily wooded, the other is open to the elements.


The majority of the photography will be taking place at dawn or dusk during late Autumn or winter.  Weather is a major consideration for either area.  It will be important to pay attention to weather forcasts to ensure that appropriate clothing can be worn.  Specific issues are likely to be keeping warm and dry.

Other considerations are as for theme 1.

Type Body material Metal Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Image Sensor Type 4/3 '' Hi-Speed Live MOS sensor Effective pixels 12.3 Megapixels Filter array Primary colour filter (RGB) Aspect ratio & area 4:3 / 17.3 x 13.0 mm Full resolution 1 Megapixels 183204 Exposure System Modes Programme automatic, i-Auto, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Scene Modes Exposure compensation +/- 3 EV ( 1, 1/2, 1/3 steps ) Exposure bracketing 3 frames ( +/- 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 EV steps ) ISO bracketing 3 frames ( 1/3, 2/3, 1 EV steps ) Shutter Speeds Shutter speed range 1/4000 - 60 s Bulb mode 1/4000 - 60 s Up to 30 minutes (selectable longest time in the menu, default: 8 minutes) Sensitivity Auto ISO 200 - 6400 (customisable, default ISO 200 - 1600) Manual ISO 100 - 6400