Exercise 18: How space changes with light

The aim of this exercise was to understand better how important good light is to a successful photograph. I have seen this before during my TAOP studies, but this time the exercise is more directed towards _space_ and perhaps buildings to a lesser extent. I undertook this exercise while I was working on Assignment 3 Buildings in Use so there is some overlap between the two.

I have chosen two locations for this exercise, one is an overpass near my place of work.  I have photographed in full sunlight during the middle of the day where strong shadows are seen cutting across the overpass and captured a cyclist - he looks almost sandwiched between the roof and strongly patterned floor. All the lines converge and add to this image.

From Exercise_18

I chose a different angle for the second photograph, choosing this because of the lovely sky behind. The very low angle of view and framing of the star-like structure in front of the cloud and directly over the cyclist works very effectively in this image. A little motion blur does not detract from the image. I underexposed by a full stop to keep the slightly dark feel of the photo in keeping with the time of day.

From Exercise_18

For the second location I have used the bridge that I am including in Assignment 3, half built as part of Brisbane's Airlink project. The changes in light I saw at this location were very dramatic and reminiscent of the light in Scotland (though much warmer of course :). I was out taking photos making use of the slightly overcast day, and was not terribly happy with the results (see first image). Then suddenly the sun broke through the clouds and there was brilliant light on my subject and the contrast between it and the dark clouds and blue sky was so dramatic it was amazing. These two photos are taken in basically the same location but very strongly show the difference between average light and excellent light. Worth waiting for.

From Exercise_18

From Exercise_18

OK so I continue to learn the value of good light whenever I am lucky enough to encounter it... Unfortunately I don't always have the time (... and patience) to wait for good light and need to just get the shots and go. Good to continue learning about the value of light, as we are all just painters of light...

Exercise 17: The Users Point of View

The aim of this exercise was to choose spaces designed for a particular activity that is taken from a specific distinctive position and to photograph from that point of view. I had a number of ideas for this exercise but it has been a while in the making and I'm not sure it's yet complete... It was slightly difficult to think of appropriate viewpoints that could be captured in public places without looking strange, though perhaps I should give up on that idea and just accept that I do stand out sometimes with the camera. I have used my point & shoot (Canon Powershot S95) for these examples as it is generally easier to carry around with me and use discreetly.

My first photo idea was to photograph not the car that I drive in (because I hardly ever do) but instead the bike that I ride to and from work. I chose a relatively attractive background and then framed the image to show my view of the handlebars and bike path beyond, just near the Roma St Parklands in Brisbane. As a photograph there are good diagonals in the photo and the lighting interesting.

From Exercise_17

My second photo idea was to photograph the beauty salon that I go to, from the relaxation bed. The view is not particularly interesting and I'm not sure I have conveyed the users point of view particularly well in my photograph.

From Exercise_17

Another idea that I had was to photograph my son on the see-saw. I am sitting on one end and him on the other, so it literally is a users point of view, but it doesn't really fit the brief as it's not a 'space' per se. Nonetheless it conveys something of a users point of view.

From Exercise_17

The final idea was photographed in a cottage, with a view over a table with nice scenery beyond. I have had some challenges in executing the lighting for this image (I didn't have my flash with me so only had on-camera flash and this did not do a very good job of lighting the scene in the diminshing natural light).

From Exercise_17

I feel like I have learnt a lot about _trying_ to see from the users point of view, but I'm yet to successfully capture this with my camera. It's a good lesson though, and now when I am out and about I'm looking for 'users point of view' examples and trying to capture them. I guess that's the whole point of doing these exercises!

Hidden Vale

I went on a fabulous work trip recently to a little known spot called Hidden Vale. Stunning. Hard to believe we were so close to Brisbane. We did lots of fun team building activites, but I was most excited about the photographic opportunities. Lucky for me we got some free time in the evening and I got up early the next morning too to take photos. And boy was I rewarded. I know I'm not particularly skilled in the landscape area, so I was very pleased to have such a fine view right on the doorstep and was provided with a lovely sunset in the evening and gorgeous mist in the morning. I managed to get nice shots by taking quite a few photos, but also tried to frame my shots in attractive ways and use a range of focal lengths.

Here are two favourites:

Evening light:

From Landscapes

Misty morning:

From Landscapes

Sustainability Project

What does sustainability mean to me?

I've been asking myself this question for a while now, and I am going to enter a competition with this same subject (due in a few weeks). I'd love to get peoples opinion on my images and will take any suggestions seriously!!

Thanks in advance.

I've tried to think about what I do in my life to try to be more sustainable. Apparently if we all keep living the way we currently are, we need about 6 earths. We've only got one, so we all need to make changes in our lives to decrease our impact and be more sustainable. The classic images you get when you search online for sustainability are all a bit cliched in my opinion. I didn't want to take photos of small children holding growing plants, of solar panels, or wind farms or globes. I thought about things that impact my life directly. I have tried to take photos of things that are personal to me and give some indication of what I am trying to do to be more sustainable.

On the technical side. For the first time I (finally) downloaded the Photoshop CR2 raw converter so I have taken these 3 photos from raw files and processed them myself. Happy with the results and how quick and easy it was! I should have been doing this for ages!! I also took the first two shots using my big external flash in a somewhat studio style setup. It has been a fun challenge.

Here they are:

Photo 1: ... and three veg

From Sustainability_Project

Photo 2: Live Local

From Sustainability_Project

Photo 3: Double Garage

From Sustainability_Project

If you have any comments or questions please comment below. What does sustainability mean to you?