Alan's poem Common Ground was runner-up in a poetry competition, Poems in the Park. Illustrating this poem was one of the most enjoyable assignments to date in this personal photography project I am undertaking, and gave me a chance to practise a few new skills, in post-processing as well as learning more about metering and … Continue reading Venturing to Richmond Park
Flowers
Dreams Reality: AC 2.3 (LO1, 2 , 3)
Recently on a brief trip to Singapore, I took the opportunity to visit the iconic 'Gardens by the Bay', just to enjoy the beauty but also to explore some technical aspects of photography that these were a perfect place to practise. The sky was grey and overcast but it was still possible to create … Continue reading Dreams Reality: AC 2.3 (LO1, 2 , 3)
Dreams Reality AC 2.1, 2.2 (LO1,3)
Working in the final term of level 3 towards the Dreams/Reality project, my goal was to move on from the floral theme in the studio and at Kew Gardens to a 'wilder' goal including tentative spiritual exploration around 'pilgrimage'. This was very much taking forward the work from last term, working particularly with depth … Continue reading Dreams Reality AC 2.1, 2.2 (LO1,3)
Term Two: Health and Safety in the Studio
Electricity and glass can be terrifying and dangerous phenomena. Studio photography is not possible without either. So it is important to know how to use them safely, for legal and personal reasons. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 covers most of the essentials for professional photographers in the workplace. In photography, questions … Continue reading Term Two: Health and Safety in the Studio
Studio and product photography: Flowers
Term two we analysed use of studio lighting in relation to product photography. We made a presentation on a particular photographer. My presentation was on Robert Mapplethorpe, and found his studio work with flowers, both on their own and when photographed with people, incredibly inspiring. Using dark backgrounds and split lighting techniques in the studio … Continue reading Studio and product photography: Flowers
Project prep: flowers and lighting
For my product project, I have been assigned the subject 'flowers'. My presentation on a studio photographer will be Robert Mapplethorpe, particularly his work with flowers in relation to the human form and in isolation. Prep for the project coincided with the Orchid festival at Kew Gardens near my home. So I decided to take … Continue reading Project prep: flowers and lighting
LO 2, 3, 4 Slow shutter speed, light
The Christmas at Kew event was the perfect event for painting with light and working with slow shutter speeds. The artificial light used to illuminate the trees at night, plus the light displays themselves, presented a number of challenges and opportunities. I experiemented with 'painting with light' on the slightly longer exposure. I used a … Continue reading LO 2, 3, 4 Slow shutter speed, light
LO 1, 2, 3 Depth of Field, selective focus
Finally ready to take photographs for the final three tasks, I worked with a micro lens and a zoom lens with depth of field and selective focus. The zoom lens was to get the close-up on the boat-lights in the lake at Kew Gardens during the Christmas at Kew light display. The other five photographs … Continue reading LO 1, 2, 3 Depth of Field, selective focus
LO 1,2 Histograms
Went to Hyde Park to experiment with using histograms to guide settings, both when taking the photograph and when editing in Camera Raw. Practised more with different depth of field, manual and automatic focus. Processing was useful in correcting white balance and to enhance the colour of the swans without losing the detail in the … Continue reading LO 1,2 Histograms
LO 1,2: Aperture priority, manual focus
LO 1,2 This term I'll be focussing (literally) on Kew Gardens with a view to the final project. Kew Gardens fits the location requirements defined in the course documents. This week we were asked to explore aperture priority and depth of field with auto ISO. (I set my max to 3200.) I like photos to … Continue reading LO 1,2: Aperture priority, manual focus
