Exercise: Selective processing and prominence

This exercise is all about the issue of visual prominence and using digital processing methods to create two new versions of an image with this kind of issue. I chose the image below and used Lightroom software.

P963:F4 @ 1/1000  4.3mm  ISO 100

I adjusted the original image above to make the walking figure stand out more (P964 ).I increased the exposure, contrast and vibrance settings.This does allow a better view of the walker.

P964: F4 @ 1/1000  4.3mm  ISO 100

Then lastly, made some more changes to see if I could make the figure recede into the background more.... This was a little more tricky and needed a light touch to avoid a too dark image ..so I limited the adjustment to just reducing the exposure level.


 

P965: F4 @ 1/1000  4.3mm  ISO 100

Looking at these images makes me think that maybe the starting point was not an ideal image to use for this particular exercise but I haven't yet been able to find a better one. I guess that it makes the point re what you can do with selective processing. That said, if a more suitable image materialises over the next few weeks, it would be worth my while to have another go..

Exercise:A single figure small...

I had this  exercise of capturing a single small figure within a space in mind all the time that I was out and about working on my previous assignment, Buildings and Space..A few opportunities arose providing a small selection of possible images and in the end I opted for the image below. This was taken from above inside the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern where the size of the figure moving across the hall gives a good impression of the size of the interior space. Taken on my iphone camera so the quality is not as good as I would have liked but I think this is outweighed by the composition and content...

P962: F2.2 @ 1/30  4.15mm  ISO 125

I'm interested by this style of image and will come back to it if I can during the next two assignments.

Working with models -a portrait course

P949: F5 @ 1/125  43mm ISO 100

Using friends and family for my portrait course work earlier made me wonder what it would be like to work with professional models and studio lighting. So when I came across a portrait photography course for beginners this Spring which was affordable, I decided to book myself a place.


On the first day we went out and about in the grounds of Painshill Park practising the use of a flash unit for outdoor shots before the arrival of our first model. He was very amenable to different poses and in fact really left it to us to direct him as to where to go and what to do.. I picked up the tip to always focus on the eyes of the subject ..very basic but not I was always necessarily doing in my coursework where I tended to focus on the face as a whole...I was impressed at the effect and results of using a flash attachment with and without a cover.

P950: F5 @ 1/125  61mm  ISO 100

P951: F5 @ 1/125  40mm  ISO 100

Interesting aside re the above image (P951 )...tutors told us to consider leaving a fair bit of space to the side of the model to allow space for captions / text if we were considering selling images for commercial use..

P952: F4.5  @ 1/125  31mm  ISO 100

P952...classic example of looking at the subject and not seeing the background...that said, the leaves can be photoshopped away.

We had a more experienced model the next day for our session on studio photography.She had a photography degree as well which led to some interesting conversations about the type of lens we were all using and the results of we were having.If anything, she made the session easier as she automatically tried out a number of different poses for each of us without prompting yet at the same time very amenable to our suggestions. 
This was the session I was really interested in .i.e. how professional lighting was set up, worked etc., to provide light and dark backgrounds. While we didn't set up the kit ourselves, we were talked through the process and how to use a light meter which again was all new stuff. Have to say it was great fun!! 

Practising on ourselves first save time when our professional model arrived:

P953: F8 @ 1/125  58mm  ISO 200

P954: F8 @ 1/125  58mm  ISO 200

P953 & P954 are experiments with wafting air at the side of fellow student Julie to get some movement into what would be otherwise a static shot. Then over to our model..

P960: F8  @ 1/125  67mm  ISO 200

P961: F8 @ 1/125  40mm  ISO 200

P955: F8 @ 1/125  40mm  ISO 200

 I also wanted to try out both black and white versions using the black background..


  

P961: F8 @ 1/125  45mm  ISO 200

P956: F8 @ 1/125  45mm  ISO 200

   

P958: F8 @ 1/125  45mm ISO 200

P959: F8 @ 1/125  45mm  ISO 200

On balance I prefer the black and white versions which seem to have more definition and capture the spirit of the model but guess that this is more a subjective view.. 

So what did I learn? I still need to take more time considering the pose and backdrop and not rush the shot; have the confidence to ask the model to try different poses to ones suggested; remember to think more about the composition i.e where the model is in the picture; use the flash attachment outside for portrait shots; always go for the eyes and experiment more with black and white where texture and lighting can add to the overall 'objective'.