Journal

TAoP - Assignment 1

Tim — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:08:11 +0000

The first assignment in TAoP is based around the theory and practice of contrasts. The task involved capturing 8 pairs of pictures that reflected 16 contrasts, as well as a single photo that captured 2 contrasts in one. The results of the assignment can be viewed in a few different ways:

Movie clip with a commentary explaining the reasoning behind the picture and the corresponding contrast. The movie can be viewed here.

To view the photos individually the full set has been uploaded to the gallery here.

Project 12 - positioning the horizon

Tim — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:20:00 +0000

This project involved experimenting with placing the horizon in different positions within the viewfinder - typically ranging from top to bottom. I took a number of photos on the beach on Fuerteventura:

28mm, ISO 400, 1/2000, f11

Out of the three, I prefer the last one - the blue sky was just so memorable compared to the cold grey Copenhagen we were holiday from! Looking at these pictures now makes me realise that the scene probably was not the most interesting place to choose for this project. I wish I had remembered to take similar shots the following day when we were on the other side of the island where the shoreline is more interesting:

28mm, ISO 100, 1/500, f8

Aop project 11 - balance

Tim — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:20:00 +0000

This project involved half a dozen existing photographs and identifying how the balance works in each one, according to unequal, radiated symmetry and symmetry about one axis.

67mm, ISO 160, 1/180, f5.6

90mm, ISO 100, 1/100, f4

67mm, ISO 160, 1/180, f4

90mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f4

67mm, ISO 160, 1/90, f2

38mm, ISO 320, 1/90, f4

Point and shoots versus expensive kit

Tim — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:28:18 +0000

Interesting article from 2005 about how Magnum photographer Alex Majoli uses a point and shoot digital camera to capture award winning images:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6468-7844

As the saying goes, it's the eye behind the equipment that makes the difference.

Project 09 - focal lengths

Tim — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:19:00 +0000

This project should highlight the change in the view when swapping lenses from one focal length to another. For this project I took three pictures across the lakes in Copenhagen as follows. Even with such a small difference in focal length across the lenses, the longest lens (121mm, 90mm in 35mm terms) was able to pick up a bus crossing a bridge in the distance.

38mm, ISO 640, 1/1, f8

67mm, ISO 640, 1/10, f4

121mm, ISO 640, 1/1, f8

Project 08 - recording a sequence

Tim — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:52:00 +0000

For this project, it was suggested that one should approach a situation seen through the viewfinder of your camera - literally holding it up to your eye. The point being that you would eventually come to the most interesting part of the situation and along the way you catch all the inspiring not so inspiring parts leading up to the critical point.

I chose the main central railway station in Copenhagen as my situation but found there were interesting opportunities in most directions and I therefore did not find what I consider to be a "best viewpoint". Instead, I found many interesting subjects during my "sequence". Here are the results:

38mm, ISO 1250, 1/50, f4	67mm, ISO 1250, 1/90, f5.6
67mm, ISO 1250, 1/30/f5.6	67mm, ISO 1250, 1/60, f5.6
67mm, ISO 1250, 1/60, f5.6	67mm, ISO 1250, 1/60, f5.6
67mm, ISO 1250, 1/90, f5.6	67mm, ISO 1250, 1/50, f5.6

AOP Project 07 - objects in different positions in the frame

Tim — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:57:00 +0000

This project is to take a series of pictures placing a subject in different positions within the frame: centred, slightly off centre and thirdly close to an edge of corner and to assess the relationship between the subject and the background. I chose to shoot a small holiday cruiser that passed by my hotel balcony.

Centred: 336mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f4.9

Off-centre: 336mm, ISO 100, 1/1000, f4.9

Edge: 227mm, ISO 100, 1/1000, f4.8

The first shot, centred is quite boring and shows very little context. The second shot, slightly off centre is more interesting as the sky at least appears so an horizon provides some context. I prefer the third version, close to the edge. This allows some kind of story to be written - there's the context of an horizon and sky and the sense of positioning going out of the frame could pose the question where is the going, or where is it coming from?

AOP Project 06 - fitting the frame to the subject

Tim — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:30:51 +0000

This project is to highlight the amount of space a subject takes up in the frame. The subject i chose was a maze of poles in a children's play area, assisted by my son who interacted with the subject. The first picture is an overall view as I walk towards the poles. The second picture frames the poles, the third picture is a tighter view within the maze and the forth picture shows the context of the poles within the whole play area.

1. 28mm, ISO 100, 1/320, f6.3	2. 28mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f7.1
3. 54mm, ISO 100, 1/250, f5	4. 28mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f6.3

AoP Project 05 - panning with different shutter speeds

Tim — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:53:52 +0000

A couple of times a year there is a traditional motorbike journey from the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen to a place called Bakken just north of the city. The cavalcade comes right past where I live and is perfecvt subject matter for panning.

70mm, ISO 100, 1/40, f4	105mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f4.9
105mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f4.9	105mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f4.9
105mm, ISO 150, 1/40, f4.9 **	105mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f4.9
105mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f4.9	105mm, ISO 200, 1/20, f4.9
90mm, ISO 100, 1/25, f2.4	90mm, ISO 400, 1/4, f2.4 **

The majority of the pictures were shot at 1/40 - as the light decreased the shutter speed reduced down to around 1/20 and 1/25. As darkness fell the speed was as low as 1/4 (last image). Whilst the amount of detail is reduced I still feel the image gives a good sense of the atmosphere the of cavalcade. The two images marked with ** I feel provide a tremendous sense of the speed, energy, roar and the general "edginess" this event provided.

AoP Project 04 - shutter speeds

Tim — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:16:46 +0000

For this project I placed my tripod close to a reasonably busy road and took the following pictures at various combinations of shutter speed/apertures ranging from 1/1000 + f1 to 1/8 + f11. The lens was 50mm, ISO 160.

1/1000 + f1 (movement frozen)	1/500 + f1.4 (movement frozen)
1/250 + f2 (very slight sign of movement)	1/125 + f2.8 (obvious sign of movement)
1/60 + f4	1/30 + f5.6
1/15 + f8	1/8 + f11

As the shutter speed decreased the amount of movement created a nice blur - to the extent that I actually like the last picture (1/8) best!