Research - Theme 1 - Ansel Adams

Having recently looked at my images from my nature photography I have noticed that there are alot of interuptions in my photographs. For example I have pictures of trees which are distracted by other tree in the shot. This is not what I intend to do I aim to get the whole object into the photograph without any other objects taking the main focal point away from the shot. To show what I mean I have researched photographer Ansel Adams. His work is mainly in black and white but the main thing is that the main focal point in his focal point is deeply concentrated with nothing else pulling it away.

This is the first photograph I have chosen. Straight away looking at this photograph the first thing I say to myself is that the main focal point is the huge tree in in the centre of the photograph. Now I am obviously stating the obvious but the way he is positioned for the shot means there are no interuptions pulling the focal point away. Also with the sun forward facing onto the tree makes the tree appear alot more bolder making it stand out alot more than it would if there was no sun shining onto it.

This is also another one of my favourite photographs from Adam's collection. Again the main focal point is placed directly in the middle of the photograph. There is a small amount of foliage surrounding the main focal point but not enough to distract the viewers eye from the cactus. This is mostly because of how the object covers alot of the photograph from top to bottom. A great value of colour is also expressed in this shot. With the sky having a wide range of colours the black and white in the photograph shows this off beautifully with the top being practically black gradually getting brighter as it moves down the photograph.

This photograph is slightly different to the other two photograph I have chosen but uses the same idea. The main focal point is placed right in the middle of the photograph almost splitting the image into two so a small amount of symmetry is also used here. What also catches the viewers eye here is how as you look deeper into the photograph it gradually gets darker.

Where as this photograph does have the main focal point centered in the photograph but I feel that he has taken this photograph purely due to the shape of the tree as it is quite peculiar. With there being more white than black in the photograph this suggests that the surrounding light was quite bright which is great for the photograph as it makes the main focal point stand out a lot more. Also with the main focal point being bright white it creates a strong opposing black colour from the shadow of the tree.



These two photographs are a different take to the other photographs I have taken. These concentrate more closer to the subject and there is more than one subject in the photograph. With both of these styles put together he creates a pattern effect from the branches on the trees in the top photograph and the tree barks left to right on the second photograph. The top photograph is a little different to the second because brightness is more emphasized due to the snow on the branches making it more white than black where as the bottom photograph has more black than white due to the background being in focus with a deep depth of field.

This photograph has the same sort of style as the first photographs I have chosen except there is more white than black in the picture due to the amount of snow that has covered the tree and surrounding areas. This in my opinion creates a completely different feel to the shot than if it was taken without it. Shadows are also used here with the sun facing either east or west shining onto the subject so natural light would've been quite strong here. Quite a high F-Stop would've also been used as the towering cliff in the background is in focus in the photograph.

This photograph is fantastic as there is surrounding shrubery and trees which range from small bushes to towering trees that tower over the photograph from bottom to top. This is great becuse what he has done here is he has stood in a postion so that the greenery is around the sides of the photograph. This creates lines to guide the eye effect in the middle of the photograph which leads around a corner. This then leads you to look down this path whilst viewing the trees and bushes on the way.

This photograph is similar to the two patterned photographs I chose earlier in this post. This one was taken at a different height and distance than the other two. As you can see the pattern arises in the middle of the photograph with bushes covering the bottom of the trees. This creates a pattern in the middle of the photograph from left to right as the background above the tops of the trees is almost an equal distance from the edge of the photograph as the bushes at the bottom.

Something a little different of Ansel's work. This photgoraph still uses the same style as the other photographs although the subject is alot closer than the others. The angle that the flower is placed creates and equal balance of black and white across the whole of the pettel. With the background being slightly darker than normal this makes the subject stand out even more. As you can see this is a similar style to his other work because no matter how close or how far away the subject is he always manages to make the main subject in his photogtaphs the main focal point for the viewer to notice.



Practice Nature Photoshoot

Aims

On this photoshoot I was aiming to concentrate on making the main subject of the shot being centered in the photograph. This style was used within the photographs of Eliot Porter so I will be looking at his style and doing the same sort of work. So below are a few of my own photographs that I feel are of the same style of Eliot Porters work.

Equipment

* Canon 1000D

* Standard 18-55mm Lens

* 70-300mm Zoom Lens

* Spare Battery and Memory Card

Safety Considerations

With these photographs being taken out deep into fields there will not be anyone around so there are alot of safety considerations to take on board. The main consideration is the fact that there isn't anybody around so I will be taking someone with me just incase something happens whilst out on the shoot. It is also going to be very hot so I will be very protective for myself and my partner with me on the shoot making sure the heat doesn;t get to us. I am also a hayfever sufferer so I will be making sure that I take that into consideration before going out by taking my medication so that I am less effected by the surrounding pollen.

The Photoshoot

1/200, F-Stop 10,  ISO 400

Here is a prime example of what I am trying to achieve from this type of work. I went out on the photoshoot to mainly concentrate on not only my positioning but the positioning of the main focal point. As you can see it is centered in the photograph and the tree covers most of the photograph from left to right. This was achieved from where I was positioned. Again, like normal colour was also a main factor for this shot with the different greens from the tree and the white/blue background to make the tree stand out.

1/500, F-Stop 6.3, ISO 400

Here I aimed to try one of the photographs from Eliot's collection. What I have done is use a higher F-Stop so that the background is also in focus and not just the main focal point. The reason I have done this is to concentrate on colour in the photograph. As you can see the colours from the tree blend in with the background colours creating a warm and bright photograph blend.

1/500, F-Stop 5.6, ISO 400

Here again I have made the main focal point in the centre of the photograph to express the greatness and dominance of the tree. This one didn't turn out too great as it is a little blurry and postioned more to the left than the centre, definetly a photograph that I would attempt again. A high shutter speed alongside a medium F-Stop were used here due to the amount of natural light surrounding the area at the time.

1/800, F-Stop 5.6, ISO 400

Like alot of this style of work from Eliot's work, his photographs would be plain and boring if they didn't include the main subject centered in the middle of the photograph. For example, this is again a photograph that I took trying to attempt the style of his work. As you can see there is a surrounding background of greenery which is great but the main focal point which stands out from the rest of the photograph is the blossoming tree in the middle. This adds a difference to the photograph and it can be expressed at it's best being positioned in the centre of the photograph. The colour of the tree is concentrated aswell which also makes it stand out from everything else in the shot. A high shutter speed was used here because the sunlight was at it's peak so it was very bright.

Evaluation

Overall I am very pleased with the way this photoshoot went. The weather was perfect and the subjects I was taking photographs of were perfectly positioned. It has also been great practice for taking photographs in such extreme light. If I was to attempt this photoshoot again I would take photographs of exactly the same subject but I would attempt them at different postions but still putting them in the centre of the photograph. This would lead to different results due to having different sides of the main focal point and different backgrounds.

Research - Theme1 - Eliot Porter

Eliot Porter is nature photographer who has travelled all over the world taking photographs of what the world nature has to offer. His photography ranges from bird photography to plants and trees from all over the world. The area that influences me the most are his photographs of trees, plants and fields. Now I won't be able to travel all over the world to attempt his photographs but I will be trying my hardest to create and copy his style of work because these are the types of nature photographs I aim to practice and shoot in the future. Below are ten photographs which I feel show nature at its full potential and why they inspire me.

This is the first photograph I have chosen from Eliots collection of work. A beautiful shot focusing on Turkeys ancient monuments and nature. This photograph heavily focuses on using color which is natural for these types of shots. The blossoming tree being the main focal point covers a majority of the photograph angelling from right to left across the shot. A pathway to the left also suggests the lines to guide the eye compositon within this photograph. Like I stated earlier colour is concentrated within this photograph from the different greens in the grass from the tree itself. This photograph was taken head on to the subject without any use of angles or tilting.

Again, this photograph is taken from the same stance, head on to the ssubject without angles or tilting. This photograph was taken in Greece. It is of a tree that stands out from the rest. This is suggested from the way this photograph is taken. It was most probably taken with a lower F-Stop so that the trees in the background are out of focus which then further makes the main focal point stand out more. Again, colour is a main factor in this shot, mainly different greens are expressed within the photograph. I would also say that symmetry is also included within this photograph from the branches from the top of the tree. Shadows are also used here from the main focal point.

This photograph includes trees but I wouldn't say that they are the main focal point in the photograph. There is a lines to guide the eye feel in this photograph from the poppy field leading upto the two trees in the background which also create a compostion of there own (frame within frame) with them almost acting as a gateway to the brighter part of the field being exposed more to sunlight. Patterns mixed with colour are also used here from the poppy's in the poppy field.

This photograph is taken in completely different weather and lighting conditions. Thnis creates a different type of photograph but colours still stand out in the shot. The flowers from the field take up most of this photograph so a low F-Stop would have been used to make them in focus. As the photograph goes on into the distance the fog starts to take over making the features in the distance hard to see or not visable at all. The mix of yellows and greens go well blending together creating a warm photograph although the weather is completely different.

Another photograph where the main focal point is centered in the middle of the shot. A great photograph that not only focuses on natural light but also conentrates on colour. With the sunlight shining directly onto the subject and the cliff in the background it suggests that there is a rear facing sun. As you can see a great deal of natural light is used within this shot creating a bright and vibrant photograph. Colour is also concentrated here using many different greens. The bottom of the tree uses very bright greens and then starts to get darker as you move up the tree. I would also say that the greens from the top of the tree blend in with the background, this creates a beautiful effect with almost matching colours.

These three photographs again have the main focal point centered in the middle of the photograph. They were taken quite close to the subject which creates a pattern effect from the branches spreading across the whole photograph. I would also say that lines are used here aswell also from the branches. Colour isn't really a factor here as the colours are very dull and do not really stand out.

Where as this photograph has to be colour concentrated.The flowers growing amongst the trees needed to stand out in this photograph to give it a little more to it rather than it being a standard photograph of the woodland area. As you can see the yellow/white petels are dotted about the photograph creating a brighter more colourful photograph. You could also say that frame within frame is used here with the two trees positione left and right of the photograph creating a gateway to the deeper part of the photograph.

Again here patterns are used from the trees positioned left to right which is what Eliot would've aimed for in this photograph. He would have been positioned quite close to the trees so the pattern would be more powerful in the photograph. Colour is also used here mixed with natural light shining onto the trees and leaves creating a bright and colourful photograph.