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
Landscapes
On Dover beach
My husband Alan Franks and I have begun a new project, The Place of the Poem, and for the first illustrated essay, just published, we went to Dover. Here is a gallery of some of the shots. This was an opportunity to work on landscape and some long-exposure, as well as post-production skills in Photoshop.
Reflections
With lockdown easing, and having recovered from a serious illness last year that stopped all photography and much else in its tracks, I am at last able to pick up a camera again. I completed year two at Richmond College but after the illness, decided to take time out before proceeding to year three and … Continue reading Reflections
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)
Dreams Reality Task 1 (AC 1.1, 1.2) LO1
For my term 3 project, based around creative exploration of the dreams/reality theme, I began my research by taking photos on pilgrimage. I was able to experiment with new techniques learned in Photoshop processing, such as masking and the use of lassoe and quick select to light and darken specific areas and enhance light … Continue reading Dreams Reality Task 1 (AC 1.1, 1.2) LO1
Long exposure, ND filter
Spent a morning on the north bank of the Thames, practising ND filters and long exposure from last term. Also went beyond camera raw and used Photoshop properly for the first time to lighten the foreground only by masking, and also to enhance the natural drama of the sky.
Landscapes with new camera
Having been given a Nikon D500 at Christmas by dh, I spent some time mainly familiarising myself with the new controls in Kew Gardens and on Richmond Riverside, when a gentle sunset at an exceptionally high tide obliged nicely. The controls turned out to be surprisingly intuitive. Focusing is so much easier and the colours … Continue reading Landscapes with new camera
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 Light and landscape: Africa
Working in Nigeria, Africa for a week, most of my pictures were for work and not relevant to this course. However, this one was a picture of the new Catholic church being built at Caritas hq in Abuja. With the dawn breaking, there was a brief moment of a few minutes to capture the perfect … Continue reading LO 1, 2, 3 Light and landscape: Africa
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
Placement 