Overall Comments
Samantha, you have produced an interesting series of images for this assignment. You had a very clear aim for these images – to show the town as residents rather than tourists enjoy it – and some of the images really show the location (using distinguishing landmarks very successfully) and activity. However I don’t think the images you have selected for the final series really get across that the people are residents as the activities they are undertaking could be interpreted as tourist activities. Please see below for more in depth feedback.
Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
Your images give a strong sense of place because you have used key landmarks very successfully. For example, the images of the painters and the family fishing (I think!) have the bridge in the background so I know what town you are referring to. They also include a good amount of scenery so I get a sense of geographical location too. I like that the bridge is doubled in the photograph of the painter – I see most of the bridge in real life and most in his painting of it, giving the photograph two areas to focus my attention on, encouraging me to look at the image for longer. The fishing one is well composed in the arrangement elements – the relation between the people and the bridge – however, the area of shadow in the foreground doesn’t really tell me anything, so it is non-space in the image that does not attract my attention. In future I would recommend angling the lens toward the sky a little more, to crop out quite a lot of the shadow and avoid cropping the tops of the trees off. You should also take care with post-production editing as this image has a halo effect around the trees where you have burnt in the sky to give it more detail / depth of colour. Sometimes these effects are not obvious on an illuminated screen – which is why it is good practice to do test prints when you are finalizing images.
I think the image of the man and boy walking next the river with the power station stacks in the distance also shows good use of landmarks to give a sense of place. I would be tempted to try to dodge the highlights on the people to make them a bit more prominent, and burn in some of the details in the background behind them (particularly the cars) so there are no distractions in the ‘dark area’ of the image. The image of the subjects in the tunnel is a nice observational image, however I probably wouldn’t include two images of the same subjects if the series were not intended to be about those people in particular. Because the other images in the series contain a variety of other people I am given more of a sense that the series is about the place rather than the people. Also this image could be stronger compositionally if you had not cropped part of the area of light cast inside the tunnel – could you have taken the image from further back? Also the content of the view shown through the end of the tunnel could have been more purposefully considered. If you have taken a few paces to the right the view might have been more ‘green’ and might have enabled you to conceal the van behind the subjects – giving a more idyllic view of the place. The composition of the image of the couple could also be improved. Although you include a number of shots of the bridge, it is a strong focal point in this photograph so you should step back and include a bit more of the structure. It is not clear what the couple is doing and the bollard in front causes a visual distraction, reinforcing the bridge as a central focus. In future try to compose the image to emphasise the couple and capture a gesture or expression that gives the viewer a clue to their activity.
As I said in my initial comments, you have taken some very good images but they don’t really tell me that the subjects are residents. When you rework this assignment have a look through your contact prints and try to think about how you can get this idea across more assertively. Perhaps if the little boy was in a school uniform, or other subjects were in recognizable work uniforms it would be more obvious that they live in the place?
I have reviewed the 6 images you did not select and I don’t think they would reinforce the idea of resident. Also I don’t think they are as well composed as they ones you have selected. When you review your work think about what the focal point of the image is – where is the audience going to look first and why? Is that what you want them to concentrate on? If there is no obvious focal point think about how the composition could have been arranged differently to give the image more attention grabbing focus.
Coursework
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
Although you haven’t written all of your coursework up yet, you have produced some interesting work. I think you still need to be careful with your composition as the main focus of the image is sometimes obscured. For example, in the small figure in the landscape the figure is half concealed by bushes. Although his red t-shirt still draws your attention to the figure it is difficult to engage with what he is doing and why he might be standing there because he is partially obscured. The ‘busy traffic’ composition works much more effectively – the activity of the people draws me in and leads my eye up to the power station. The contrast between families in the sun and the industrial structures give the image real interest and tension. This image would be very effective in your final 6 for the assignment as it evokes ideas of resident because it is a sports day and the towers give a sense of location. (Although I agree it would be even stronger if the children were running in a race at the time!)
Research
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
I don’t think you have uploaded any research for this section of your course. As I mentioned in my previous feedback, try to see some exhibitions and also read reviews online or in photography journals to give you more of an idea of how to write / think about your own work and the work of other practitioners.
Learning Log
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
Please see my feedback from the previous assignment. Further to it – research in this sense tends to relate to other photographers and theorists rather than planning research you have done for an assignment. If you are doing research for an assignment (i.e. looking at locations or finding out about the subject of your images) include it in your blog posts relating to planning for the assignment rather than in the research section.
Suggested reading/viewing
Context
Please see my feedback from the previous assignment.
Pointers for the next assignment / assessment
- Be careful with your composition, make sure you are including all the information you need to give the viewer so they know what the image is about, and also crop out sections that are not visually engaging / do not provide information.
- Review your assignment using the assessment criteria to try to gauge how successful it is and what can be improved next time.
- Think about what each image is trying to convey and let that message guide your composition – so you really emphasise the most important elements and crop out any unnecessary or distraction ones.
- Be careful with your post-production – it works best when it is subtle and imperceptible.
Sam Bennett 