Those of you living in little old Adelaide, I highly recommend a visit to the SA museum... they have the wildlife photographer of the year winners on display at the moment, yours to see for a mere $5! I would love to go! Don't worry, I think it comes to Edinburgh later in the year so I should manage to see it. The photos are brilliant, I can't decide on my favourite, but they are all beautiful images, very inspiring. The kind of images I can only dream about making...
http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/page/default.asp?site=1&id=1967
Friday, 24 April 2009
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Project 22: Curves
Similar to the previous projects, but here the focus is on curves.
Photo 1. This was taken in the Pentlands, near Edinburgh. I thought the gentle rolling hills were beautifully curved and look almost sensual!
f/3.5, 70mm, 1/125s, ISO200
Photo 2. This photo was taken in Amsterdam and is a subtle curve of trees with a shadow onto the building behind.
f/5.6, 70mm, 1/100s, ISO400
Photo 3. This photo was taken in Amsterdam, and is a bridge in a modern part of town. I chose a long angle on the handrail and you can see it curving off into the distance, but the main curve is the strange bird like necks sticking out the top of the bridge!
f/5, 25mm, 1/4000s, ISO400
Photo 4. A bicycle in Amsterdam, with shadow. I thought the wheels both real and shadow looked quite curvy.
f/4.5, 70mm, 1/1600s, ISO400
Looking here for a sense of smoothness (Photo 1), grace, elegance (Photo 4), of movement, direction (Photo 3 perhaps?)
Photo 1. This was taken in the Pentlands, near Edinburgh. I thought the gentle rolling hills were beautifully curved and look almost sensual!
f/3.5, 70mm, 1/125s, ISO200 Photo 2. This photo was taken in Amsterdam and is a subtle curve of trees with a shadow onto the building behind.
f/5.6, 70mm, 1/100s, ISO400 Photo 3. This photo was taken in Amsterdam, and is a bridge in a modern part of town. I chose a long angle on the handrail and you can see it curving off into the distance, but the main curve is the strange bird like necks sticking out the top of the bridge!
f/5, 25mm, 1/4000s, ISO400 Photo 4. A bicycle in Amsterdam, with shadow. I thought the wheels both real and shadow looked quite curvy.
f/4.5, 70mm, 1/1600s, ISO400 Looking here for a sense of smoothness (Photo 1), grace, elegance (Photo 4), of movement, direction (Photo 3 perhaps?)
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Project 21: Diagonals
Here again I show 4 photographs which use diagonals strongly. I have tried to choose a variety of situations, some with really obvious diagonals and a few a bit more subtle.
Photo 1. This photo was taken in Amsterdam and I was lucky to get this shot with the sun shining (it dissapeared when I went to take a second photo and the shadows went away too!). I like the brick background and the strong diagonal shadows on the wall. The inclusion of the bottom window (with no shadow) adds interest and breaks up the repetition which works really well in this photo.
f8, 63mm, 1/400s, ISO400
Photo 2. This photo was taken at Roslin, near Edinburgh, and I chose to focus again on the shadows, this time a small pen in a field and a power pole shadow on the ground. I like the slightly grainy film-like quality of the gently diagonal grass in the upper part of this photo.
f4.5, 40mm, 1/180sec, ISO200
Photo 3. This photo was taken in the lakes district, looking up a valley at a small waterfall and seeing all the other valleys converging from left and right to form a series of diagonal lines. This is quite subtle use of diagonals but I think you can still clearly see the diagonal elements.
f8, 70mm, 1/500s, ISO400
Photo 4. This photo was taken in Edinburgh (Marchmont). I have taken the photo at an angle which emphasises the diagonals, but because the building is still loosely aligned in the frame it actually lessens the effect of the diagonal. This is interesting... diagonals which still conform to the frame.
f11, 35mm, 1/60s, ISO400, Tripod
I found using different focal lengths helped to see different diagonals (and other lines etc) when out taking photos for this project.
Photo 1. This photo was taken in Amsterdam and I was lucky to get this shot with the sun shining (it dissapeared when I went to take a second photo and the shadows went away too!). I like the brick background and the strong diagonal shadows on the wall. The inclusion of the bottom window (with no shadow) adds interest and breaks up the repetition which works really well in this photo.
f8, 63mm, 1/400s, ISO400Photo 2. This photo was taken at Roslin, near Edinburgh, and I chose to focus again on the shadows, this time a small pen in a field and a power pole shadow on the ground. I like the slightly grainy film-like quality of the gently diagonal grass in the upper part of this photo.
f4.5, 40mm, 1/180sec, ISO200Photo 3. This photo was taken in the lakes district, looking up a valley at a small waterfall and seeing all the other valleys converging from left and right to form a series of diagonal lines. This is quite subtle use of diagonals but I think you can still clearly see the diagonal elements.
f8, 70mm, 1/500s, ISO400Photo 4. This photo was taken in Edinburgh (Marchmont). I have taken the photo at an angle which emphasises the diagonals, but because the building is still loosely aligned in the frame it actually lessens the effect of the diagonal. This is interesting... diagonals which still conform to the frame.
f11, 35mm, 1/60s, ISO400, TripodI found using different focal lengths helped to see different diagonals (and other lines etc) when out taking photos for this project.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Project 20: Horizontal & Vertical lines
I have been searching for horizontal & vertical lines for a little while now and have drawn together my small collection. I was to 'try to subordinate the content of the picture to the line', i.e. to make the line the first thing the viewer sees. I have gone with B&W shots again to help this, but it's still quite difficult.
Horizontal Photo 1: This photo was taken looking vertically (almost) up at a funky modern building in Amsterdam. By looking at such a steep angle the building is compressed (even with a fairly wide angle) and the horizontal lines are drawn together, enhancing each other.
38mm, f/9, 1/250sec, ISO 400, very windy day!
Horizontal Photo 2: This photo was taken the same day, of a modern bridge in Amsterdam. The slats on the bridge are very linear.
24mm, f/5, 1/1250sec, ISO 400
Horizontal Photo 3: This was taken on a beautiful spring day in the Borders, I was focussing on the linear nature of the water/ground boundary.
45mm, f/8, 1/250sec, ISO 200
Horizontal Photo 4: This photo was taken in the Lakes District, here I am focussing on the walls and the trees have a nice softening effect on the lines. I like the sheep in the field beyond too.
70mm, f/9.5, 1/250sec, ISO 400
Vertical Photo 1: This photo is taken near the meadows in Edinburgh, crouched down low on the bike path/ walkway. I like the long linear nature of the white line and lights beyond and just needed to wait for the cyclist to enter the frame at the right place.
24mm, f/5, 1/4sec, ISO 400, Tripod
Vertical Photo 2: This photo was taken in Amsterdam, just some interesting balconies or something similar on the side of an apartment building. I like the vertical nature of them. I thought about removing the diagonal fire-escape stairs on the left side but thought they balanced the photo and didn't take away from the strong vertical nature of the shot.
70mm, f/4.5, 1/250sec, ISO 200
Vertical Photo 3: This photo taken in Amsterdam had nice vertical windows and coloured bricks which added to the vertical feel. The two trees in the foreground give this image some depth and added interest (and verticallity).
35mm, f/13, 1/400sec, ISO 400
Vertical Photo 4: This photo taken in the Lakes District is a simple path with some stepping stones in a roughly vertical format. It is quite a simple image and is similar in nature to the 1st vertical photo but much more subtle.
17mm, f/5.6, 1/180sec, ISO 400
I find it interesting that the 4 horizontal shots were all landscape orientation, and my 4 vertical shots were all portrait in orientation. I should have tried to break this mould... so here I have very quickly cropped two photos to see how they look in the other orientation.
Horizontal Photo 4 (alternative crop): I think this still works quite well and does still have quite a strong horizontal feel to it.
Vertical Photo 3 (alternative crop): I don't feel this photo works as well in this format.
Once I started looking I did find it easier to see horizontal & vertical lines.
Horizontal Photo 1: This photo was taken looking vertically (almost) up at a funky modern building in Amsterdam. By looking at such a steep angle the building is compressed (even with a fairly wide angle) and the horizontal lines are drawn together, enhancing each other.
38mm, f/9, 1/250sec, ISO 400, very windy day!Horizontal Photo 2: This photo was taken the same day, of a modern bridge in Amsterdam. The slats on the bridge are very linear.
24mm, f/5, 1/1250sec, ISO 400Horizontal Photo 3: This was taken on a beautiful spring day in the Borders, I was focussing on the linear nature of the water/ground boundary.
45mm, f/8, 1/250sec, ISO 200
70mm, f/9.5, 1/250sec, ISO 400Vertical Photo 1: This photo is taken near the meadows in Edinburgh, crouched down low on the bike path/ walkway. I like the long linear nature of the white line and lights beyond and just needed to wait for the cyclist to enter the frame at the right place.
24mm, f/5, 1/4sec, ISO 400, TripodVertical Photo 2: This photo was taken in Amsterdam, just some interesting balconies or something similar on the side of an apartment building. I like the vertical nature of them. I thought about removing the diagonal fire-escape stairs on the left side but thought they balanced the photo and didn't take away from the strong vertical nature of the shot.
70mm, f/4.5, 1/250sec, ISO 200Vertical Photo 3: This photo taken in Amsterdam had nice vertical windows and coloured bricks which added to the vertical feel. The two trees in the foreground give this image some depth and added interest (and verticallity).
35mm, f/13, 1/400sec, ISO 400Vertical Photo 4: This photo taken in the Lakes District is a simple path with some stepping stones in a roughly vertical format. It is quite a simple image and is similar in nature to the 1st vertical photo but much more subtle.
17mm, f/5.6, 1/180sec, ISO 400I find it interesting that the 4 horizontal shots were all landscape orientation, and my 4 vertical shots were all portrait in orientation. I should have tried to break this mould... so here I have very quickly cropped two photos to see how they look in the other orientation.
Horizontal Photo 4 (alternative crop): I think this still works quite well and does still have quite a strong horizontal feel to it.
Vertical Photo 3 (alternative crop): I don't feel this photo works as well in this format.
Once I started looking I did find it easier to see horizontal & vertical lines.
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