The Rothschild Autochromes

http://www.exbury.co.uk/website/autochromes.aspx

1st May - 27th September at Exbury Gardens

Project 7: objects in different positions in the frame

Take a series of photographs in which the subject is placed in different positions in the frame.

***

1

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

2

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/16, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

3
(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

4

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

5

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/16, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

6

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

7

(Shutter speed: 1/1000, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 50mm, ISO 800)

Honestly speaking, I am not very confident whether I have correctly understood the idea of this project and have done it correctly or not.

If I were asked which of the photographs in the series I like best, I would choose number 2, the subject being slightly left from the centre. Since I see the horse naturally moves forward (in this case to the right side of the frame), I feel more comfortable looking at the photographs which have more space in the right side of the frame. If the horse is too far from the centre like number 1 , I feel there is too much space in the right, and if the horse is in, or very close to, the centre of the frame like number 3 and 4, the pictures look too static.

Project 6: fitting the frame to the subject

Take 4 different photographs:

1. the entire subject without taking much time to consider the composition

2. the subject filling up the frame

3. a part of the subject

4. the subject being only a small part of the frame

****

The London Eye and a boat on the river. The image of the London Eye occupies about 4/9 (=2/3 * 2/3) of the entire frame area. (Shutter speed: 1/400 sec, Aperture: f/14, Focal length: 55mm, ISO 200)

The shot of the London Eye filling the frame. (Shutter speed: 1/400 sec, Aperture: f/14, Focal length: 90mm, ISO 200)

A close up image of one of the capsules of the London Eye. (Shutter speed: 1/200 sec, Aperture: f/13, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

A landscape image surrounding the London Eye. The image of the London Eye occupies only a small part of the frame. (Shutter speed: 1/200 sec, Aperture: f/13, Focal length: 28mm, ISO 200)

The big "4" logo outside of Channel Four television building. Ordinary shot. (Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec, Aperture: f/9, Focal length: 66mm, ISO 800)

The logo filling up the frame from slightly different angle of view. (Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec, Aperture: f/8, Focal length: 42mm, ISO 800)

Close up view of the logo revealing that the logo consists of many umbrellas. (Shutter speed: 1/800 sec, Aperture: f/14, Focal length: 78mm, ISO 800)

A shot from a distance, which places the subject (the logo) into a context. (Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec, Aperture: f/9, Focal length: 24mm, ISO 800)

I find this exercise very useful. It makes me think more about composition but also I think it is a practical approach for taking photographs especially for editorial purposes. Taking 4 (or more) different types of the same subject, such as an entire image, a close up image, an image in a context, etc., would give editors more options and hence potentially make the photographs more saleable. This would be something to keep in mind when taking editorial pictures.

Cecil Beaton

22 April to 16 May

Chris Beetles Gallery

http://www.chrisbeetles.com/

How Cecil Beaton photographed Marilyn Monroe: 'She leaps on the sofa.' - guardian.co.uk

Rankin Live!

31 July - 18 September 2009

Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London

http://www.rankin.co.uk/

Travel Photographer of the Year 2009

http://www.tpoty.com/index.html

Closing date is 22nd September, 2009.

Project 5: panning with different shutter speeds

Take pictures using panning technique with different shutter speeds and compare the results.

***

(Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, Aperture f/5.6, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/125 sec, Aperture f/5.6, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, Aperture f/5.6, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/40 sec, Aperture f/9, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/30 sec, Aperture f/8, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/15 sec, Aperture f/14, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/20 sec, Aperture f/22, Focal length: 120mm, ISO 200)

Although it depends on the actual speed of the bike, the sense of speed wouldn't normally be expressed at the shutter speed faster than 1/40 second. However, I found it difficult to get sharp image with the shutter speed slower than 1/15 second. Therefore, the shutter speed somewhere between 1/15 to 1/60 second would be best to get a sharp image with the sense of movement.

I actually prefer the last photograph, which was taken with the shutter speed at 1/20 second. The bike is not entirely sharp, but the most important part of this photograph, i.e. the face and upper body of the cyclist, is relatively sharp, which makes me comfortable to look at and the blurred image of the bike and the background increases the sense of speed.

Sony World Photography Awards 2009 Winners announced

SWPA 2009 Winner Galleries

Michael Lichter with Nikon D3X

Nikon video features stunning motorcycle photography

Project 4: Shutter speeds

Find something continuously moving and take a series of pictures with different shutter speed. Find the slowest shutter speed at which the movement is sharply frozen.

***

(Shutter speed: 1/2000 sec, Aperture: f/5.6, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec, Aperture: f/5.6, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/500 sec, Aperture: f/9, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, Aperture: f/13, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/125 sec, Aperture: f/18, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, Aperture: f/29, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/30 sec, Aperture: f/36, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 400)

(Shutter speed: 1/15 sec, Aperture: f/36, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/8 sec, Aperture: f/36, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 200)

(Shutter speed: 1/4 sec, Aperture: f/36, Focal length: 120mm, ISO: 200)

Since the focus is not quite right in these photographs, it is not very clear, but it looks 1/500 second (the third picture from the top) or shorter is necessary to freeze the water flow in this particular case. The water may look frozen at 1/250 second (in the fourth picture), but the water drops are actually blurred.

The fountain looks much nicer at the slower shutter speed, such as 1/8 second (the second one from the bottom) and 1/4 second (the last one). I think the bottom one looks the best. It suggests that it is always necessary to use a tripod (or something to stabilise the camera) when taking pictures of fountains.

Since it was a very sunny bright day, I could not set the shutter speed slower than 1/4 second. I should have taken the pictures later in the afternoon or should have used ND filter (but I didn't have one).

Project 3: focus with different apertures

Focus on somewhere near the middle and take pictures with the lens at various aperture setting. Draw on each picture what you see as the limits of sharpness.

***

Focus is on the centre of the picture (on the second wooden pillar from the left) in all the photographs. The sharpness limits are roughly shown in the red lines.

(Aperture: f/2, Shutter speed: 1/400 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/2.8, Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/4, Shutter speed: 1/125 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/8, Shutter speed: 1/30 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/11, Shutter speed: 1/15 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/16, Shutter speed: 1/8 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

(Aperture: f/22, Shutter speed: 1/4 sec, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

Project 2: focus with a set aperture

Take 3 photographs with each focused on something at a different distance.

***

The focus is on the first wooden pillar from the left.

(Shutter speed: 1/500, Aperture f/1.8, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

The focus is on the second wooden pillar from the left.

(Shutter speed: 1/500, Aperture f/1.8, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

The focus is on the fourth wooden pillar from the left.

(Shutter speed: 1/500, Aperture f/1.8, Focal length: 50mm, ISO: 200)

I don't think these pictures are particularly good to be honest, but among this set of pictures, I prefer the middle one.

The brick wall is dominant in the photograph, so my eyes are naturally drawn to the left side of the frame first. If the part is too blurred like in the third one, I feel a little bit uncomfortable because it makes me feel I don't know where to start looking at the picture. I would start looking at the picture from the centre, but then I feel distracted with the left part.

Then my eyes are led to the right hand side of the frame along the wall. The bad point in these pictures is that there is no stop point for my eyes. If there were something interesting at the end of the wall or on the path, such as a person, a children, a dog or a monument, it would make the pictures a bit more interesting.

For this reason, if the right hand side of the frame is too blurred like in the first picture, it makes me feel uncomfortable too. My eyes are led to the right hand side, but there is nothing to look at there, so my eyes return to the left hand side again, and keep looking for something interesting.

The middle picture is better because, although blurred, I can still see some details in the left of the frame, and also in the right of the frame. So, my eyes would start looking at the picture from the left, led to the right, and stop at the blurred person on the path.

Chapter 1. A way of seeing

This chapter is basically an introduction of the photography and camera as well as the basics about how to study photography and acquire necessary skills. I have never thought about some of the suggestions in this chapter, and I find them quite useful; for example,

• As in any other graphic art, you will need a considerable amount of visual reference material (p.30)
• I urge you to look for and collect reproductions of what we could call classic photographs (p.31)
• From right now, begin collecting objects that you find interesting (and also manageable in size) (p.31)
• As well as objects, look for and collect backgrounds: cloths, paper card, plastics, pieces of leather, stone, and an old chopping board ... (p.31)

The author also recommends critically looking at the photographs that professional photographers have taken in terms of the choice of subjects, composition, use of colour, lighting, etc. In addition, the author suggests that I should keep all of my own photographs with notes regarding the subject, technical details, etc. in a notebook, so that I can see my own progress later.

I have heard some people say these things are very important, but I have never actually done, so I think this is a very good opportunity for me to actually start trying them. Since I am using a digital camera, I should do this digitally, probably in this blog.

The other part of the chapter is mainly devoted to a short explanation of cameras (both film and digital), accessories, films, the way of viewing photographs (both film and digital) and lenses.