Selective processing and prominence

So far no consideration has been given to post processing techniques and how they fit in with making people or place less or more prominent in an image.

I chose a photograph I took on one of my many photowalks for this section of the course and set about making the figures seem either more or less prominent in the frame.

For the post processing I used a Photoshop software and some very basic tools.  Firstly I selected the background and made adjustments to only that.  I increased the exposure and brightness of the background which made the figures stand out more.

I have read about the controversial opinions of post processing and purists believe it’s not part of the art of photography but if it makes the difference between a good photo and a great photo then surely the end result is what matters regardless of the process.

Balancing figure and space

I chose these photographs from two previous exercises to demonstrate how to control the balance of attention between figure and space.

In this photograph 1 the eye is drawn to the figure but in Photograph two the eye is focussed more on the landscape.  Both figures are in similar positions and both facing away from the camera although the balance of attention is different.

Photograph 1:

Photograph 2:

What makes the figure in photograph one hold more attention it’s his contrast in colours making git stand out more than the space around it.  However, the figure in photograph 2, struggles to take attention away from the landscape with its more muted tones.

Making figures anonymous

Anonymous figures can be used in an otherwise static image of subjects such as landscapes.  Using a figure that doesn’t stand out as the main part of the image can do one of two things, bring the place to life and give an idea of the scale of the landscape.

There are many ways to make a figure anonymous, that is unrecognisable as an individual, by using silhouettes, using many small figures, facing away, partly obscured or even blurring the motion of the person.

In this image, most of the persons face is obscured but also the clothing colours are neutral making the landscape the main feature of the image.  If the figure had been wearing red, for instance, the viewers eye would be drawn straight to the person.

Busy Traffic

Trying to find a scenario where there is busy foot traffic in a place that allows photography isn’t as easy as first thought.  I went out into town but I looked odd with my camera and felt uneasy as people were staring and being confrontational.  I didn’t have time to think about what I was shooting and ended up with a very unsatisfying set of images.

I then decided to try a local event where it wouldn’t seem odd to be pointing a camera at a group of people and despite the fact it was a children’s event I was able to give thought and consideration to what I wanted to achieve.

I found a composition I was happy with which showed a lot of children competing in a sports day which also had the Ironbridge pots in the background to give a sense of where we were.

Although you can see parents scattered about and children lined up, this particular image doesn’t clearly show the activity taking place.  When I found this pleasing composition it was the last race and I was adjacent to the start but the children have raced to the finish line away from me.  If I’d known it was the last race I would have been more prepared!

What I like about this image is the formation of parents changing, one mum is getting up others are heading for their children, and you can see a line of parents has formed.

A Single small figure

After reading the section on quiet places busy places, I had in mind to look for opportunity whilst out with my camera rather than stage this shot.  By chance on my first outing I was walking along the river and saw someone in a place people don’t usual venture to.  This was the perfect setting and even the composition was how I’d imagined with the figure being far off centre but with something to balance it out on the other side.

Heres what I found:

Assignment Four – A sense of Place

‘Not Just A Fancy Bridge’

I pondered an awful lot over which direction to take with this assignment. The brief was to draw upon the techniques and processes learnt so far under the guise of People interacting with place and to choose a location that was both well-known to me and easily accessible.

This was an easy decision to make as I happen to live in the very beautiful Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire. I know it well and I live amongst it so it was easy for me to plan shoots and plenty of them.

It probably wasn’t the best time of year to plan outdoor shoots in April as the rain was relentless however, May bought some better weather and had more of the warm tones I was hoping to capture to show the place in it’s best light.

The brief also stated that this assignment wasn’t to shot in the theme of a tourism point of view but more in keeping with a travel publication. From that I decided that my angle would be to photograph the lesser known activities of popular tourist destination.

In truth, as residents, we get frustrated by the actions of some visitors to Ironbridge. Some park across our drives, speed around with music blaring, drop litter anywhere and everywhere but for a travel publication I didn’t want to document this side of being a resident. It’s more than that, we have so many places to walk and lots to look at on the way. One point that is very important to mention is the time of day my photo walks took place, that being ‘when the tourists leave town’, early morning or early evening as everything in between belongs to the tourist’s.

My aim here was to capture the various ways this place is used by both its residents and tourists other than the obvious famous bridge and numerous museums. Ironbridge is a town steeped in historical buildings and architecture with various paths forged throughout the years to different places.  A favourite resident pastime is simply walking in the evening, generally heading along the river Severn to or beyond the Iron bridge, stopping to take in its beauty and wonder. Art is prominent in the town and local artists are often seen painting at the riverside. It is an area for leisure activities and there are plenty to be had, the river Severn is a huge focus point for children.

To summarise, my intention was to capture Ironbridge culture at various times throughout the day.

My final six images:

 With so much to say about one place it was difficult to narrow down my selection to six photographs.  The final six were chosen for the way they show people using their space and the variety of functions on offer.

I think I have succeeded in giving an insight into life in a tourist town without the tourist holiday type trappings.  The final selection of photographs were taken at all times of the day but mainly focusing on the quieter times with the glorious golden light and I hope this comes across in my work.  Ironbridge can be incredibly busy during holiday periods but most of the time it appears as it does in the final selection.

I had hoped to show a variety in subjects, poses, techniques and narrative although having put it all together I can see that there is a similarity in them all.  I do have some differing shots in the six photographs I decided not o include in my final six selection but they seemed to steer away from the original theme or didn’t seem relevant.

The photographs I chose not to include:

There are reason for each of these photographs not being included but ultimately I didn’t think they added to the theme of capturing the essence of the place in the light that I feel it deserves.  Some are simply good photographs but not relevant.

The photograph above of the child standing in front of the gates is the type of photograph I would produce without a theme to work to.  When presented together they wouldn’t have made any sense in relation to the assignment.  My approach would have been to see what I think would present as a photograph and continue like this.  I like to play with falling sunlight when it’s low in the sky, casting long shadows and perfecting silhouettes and this would have been my approach to this assignment.  When trying to make a correlation between them all it would have been unstructured.

4.3 Judging Colour temperature Part 1

Our eyes have the ability to adjust to changes in colour temperature which is why we don’t naturally see the changes.  Cameras on the other hand will see the colour of the temperature as they actually are.  To demonstrate this I took three photographs:

1. in natural sunlight mid day

2. in the shade mid day

3. in the sun at sundown

In photograph one, taken in the sunlight, the colour temperature appears neutral as is did to the naked eye and therefore was an equal likeness.

In photograph two, taken with the subject in the shade, I expected the colour temperature to be on the blue side as it’s darker.

The results of photograph three, taken at sundown, I was surprised by the yellow-orange tint in the overall photo especially the subjects face.  When compared to photograph one which was taken at mid day in sunlight the differences are quite clear.

I’ve always known it’s important to capture intended subjects at their optimum time of the day but I hadn’t realised the difference in colour temperature between morning, afternoon and evening light.  This knowledge will be invaluable in knowing what effect to achieve at different types of day.  Of course there is also a difference in colour temperature between a sunny day and an overcast day which I suspect will mimic the difference between light and shade.  I’ll test that theory now.