Research - Theme One - Archie Miles

For my next research segment, I am going to research Nature photographer Archie Miles. Archie Miles is a photographer who mainly concentrates in the landscape and nature area of photography. After viewing some of his photography it has really inspired me to create some of these images of my own. He has a mixture of style. By this I mean he will take photographs of trees that are centered in the middle of the photograph and some will be of leaves or flower petals, alot like what I have done for my work. Below are ten photographs which I have found which inspired me to attempt his style of photography. All of these photographs can be found by clicking on this link http://www.archiemiles.co.uk/ and then clicking on the "trees" link.

This is the first photograph that I have chosen from Archie's collection. It is a photograph of an old oak tree at Windsor Great Park. As you can see it is a similar style to John Shaw's work. Here the tree is obviously the main focal point but to achieve this it had to be centered in the middle of the photograph. He is also stood quite close to the tree which makes it look very tall alongside the old branches spreading out across the whole of the photograph in different directions. I would almost say that rule of thirds is used here as well with the green grass being the bottom third, the tree being the middle third and the sky being the top third. Colour is also highly concentrated in this photograph especially in the sky as the blue gets a lot more darker towards the top of the photograph making the branches stand out even more.

This is the second photograph I have chosen from Archie's collection. This image has the same sort of style as the top photograph where it is centered but instead of having the whole of the oak included in the photograph he mainly focuses on the bark of the oak. Like I said this is still using the same sort of style but focuses more on detail from the main focal point. By this I mean you can see the patterns from the old oak because you are drawn to this rather than if it was taken further back using the whole of the tree for the photograph.

This is my attempt of this style of photograph. What I have done slightly differently here though is taken the photograph a little bit further back. This creates a larger span of pattern from the old branches from the main focal point, spanning out left to right of the top half of the photograph.

These next two photographs are a little bit different to the others. They both use the frames within frames composition but they are both a little stranger than normal photographs using this composition. The position of where the photographer was stood on the first one creates a different frames within frames composition as to if he was stood looking straight on between the trees. I would still say the main focal point would be the tree right in the centre of the photograph. The trees almost create a gateway to the main focal point standing dominantly in the centre of the photograph. The second photograph also includes the frames within frames composition. Again, it is a little different than normal, this time it is purely down to how strange the trees create the composition within itself due to them joining together. Colour is concentrated in this photograph as well mixed with natural sunlight. With a rear facing sun it creates a shadow effect from the tree barks.

This is the sort of tree photography I would like to attempt but unfortunetly it is not the right time of year to attempt it. These photographs both highly concentrate on colour mixed with natural light. With a mixture of strong natural light shining onto the very bright frost covered trees he has managed to create a great blend making them both bright, colourful and vibrant. The deep blue sky matches perfectly with the frost covered trees making them stand out very boldly. I would also say patterns have been used in both photographs from the branches of the trees spreading across the photographs.

Here is one of his photographs that uses the lines to guide to eye composition mixed with patterns from the trees both on the left and right. The trees on either side lead deep into the photograph which create the lines to guide the eye compostion. Natural light is also used here but a little bit darker than normal which suggests that this photograph was taken in the evening just as the sun is setting. I would say this creates a warm, natural coloured effect mixed with shadowing.

These two photographs both rely on the background to show all there natural beauty. Again, they are both centered in the photograph without any distractions or interruptions making them the main focal point in both photographs. The sky in the background attracts the trees making them look even more bolder than usual. This is great as they both stand out perfectly. Both concentrate on colour, more the top photograph than the second. The top photograph uses more natural light that is available making the greens on the stand out where as the second photograph uses less available light making the sky look a bit more whiter. This is perfect though as the tree branches are a dark colour so they stand out beautifully.

This is the final photograph I have chosen from Archie's collection. This uses the same style as some of his other photographs I have chosen but this one was taken just as the sun was setting. Obviously the tree is the main focal point in the photograph with it being centered without any other objects interrupting the photograph. Although the sun was nearly set, all the natural light that was available has been used perfectly to create a silhouette which blends perfectly with a yellow sky from the remaining sunlight.

Archie has also created many different books to show his photography. These books range from all of his types of photography. The one pictured above shows his work on trees in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Research - Theme One - John Shaw

John Shaw will be the next photographer who I am going to be researching. After this piece of research I will also be going out on a photoshoot to attempt his style of photography. This will also be great practice for me to attempt this style of photography which I feel is very important when taking nature photographs. His style is similar to Ansel Adams. The only real difference between the two is that John Shaws work is mainly in colour and Ansel Adams work is mainly in black and white. Below are ten of my favourite photographs from John Shaws collection which convey a strong colourful visual message in which I will be attempting myself.

This first photograph displays exactly what I mean. As you can see his style is similar to Ansel Adams photography. The main focal point is centred in the photograph showing it’s dominance. This means that the viewer will know what this photograph is displaying. Like normal colour is also concentrated in this photograph with two very different colours split in the photograph from the greens i the tree to purple field leading into the background.

The second photograph I have chosen is a little different to the first but uses the same style. Again the main focal point is developed due to the tree placed in the centre of the photograph but what makes this photograph different from Johns other work is that it is taken at dusk. This creates a silhouette of the main focal point making it stand out even more thus creating a completely different feel to the photograph to if it was taken during the day.

These two photographs both have a pattern feel to them but both use the pattern style in different ways. The top photograph has one tree bark centred in the photograph and then starts to span out wider with the other tree barks. This is great as this is what the viewer will notice when looking at the photograph. I would also say that lines to guide the eye were used here with the trees leading out further into the background of the photograph. The second photograph also uses patterns but they don’t span out into the background, instead they almost slope of diagonally from right to left. This effect appears with the tops of the trees being yellow and how the photograph was taken. It was taken at a certain level to get the trees at a correct height starting with the small trees on the right to them growing to the left and then to the right again. The top photograph is also very similar to the work of Ansel Adams. This photograph is very similar due to the patterns evolving from the trees where they expand out deeper into the photograph.

The next photograph I have chosen is a close up style photograph but again he manages to make the main focal point stand out by placing it right in the middle of the photograph. Again this is great as it shows the viewer what the photographs visual message is displaying without the viewer having to look around the photograph for it. Again like normal colour was also concentrated here with the yellow from the petals on the flower. A low F-stop would have been used here as nothing in the background is in focus making the close up of the flower stand out a lot more. This also helps convey a stronger visual message showing the dominance of the main focal point.

These two photographs have both been taken by myself. I have taken these to copy the style of some of John's work. As you can see both are close ups and both main focal points are centered in the photograph just the same as John Shaw. Both include a high concentration of colour (top photograph more darker natural colours, second photograph using more natural light alongside brighter colours) the colour from both flowers brighten up the photographs which is needed especially in the top photograph where natural light is quite low. I had to watch what I was doing here in terms of health and safety because I had to lean over other objects to get quite close to the flower. This was taken into consideration as I could have easily fallen over and not only done damage to myself but done damage to the environment.

This photograph highly concentrates on lines mixed with colour. He has stood square on to the subject which is involved in the whole of the photograph creating a lines effect from the different colours of the flowers in the field. Colour with natural light is mixed together here to create a warm colourful photograph.

This was my attempt at the photograph above. As you can see it wasn't taken in a field but I have tried to re create the same concept with the different colours mixed with lines. A medium amount of natural light was used here so the amount of colour involved boosted the photographs brightness.

This photograph is the style of photograph that I am going to be aiming to achieve on my next photoshoot. As you can see he uses the same style as Ansel Adams. The main focal point is the tree in the distance of the shot without any distractions or interruptions in the photograph. This makes the main focal point stand out alot more than if there were other trees in the shot. This immediately draws the viewers attention to what the photographer intended the viewer to look at. This shot would've been completely different if there were no tree involved. Again as normal colour is also concentrated here with many different bright colours mixing with the bright natural sunlight creating a bright and colourful photograph.

Patterns mixed with colour is concentrated in this photograph with the different Autumn colours blending in with the position and structure of the trees. Nothing else is included in this photograph so this suggests he may have zoomed a little to only include this in the photograph. He would've been postioned square on to the trees to also create this effect.

These two photographs both include more than one object that create a main focal point. Again this is all down to where they are positioned and how little interruptions there are in the photographs. As you can see in the bottom photograph the three palms are placed directly in the middle of the photograph with nothing but the background supporting there postion. This is great as it directly places the viewers eye to these three palms first and nothing else will be distracting them. It is the same situation for the top photograph, the two trees are placed in the photograph one to the left and one to the right. The one of the left would probably be more of the main focal point due to its size and dominance. As you can see from the position this photograph was taken from the trees almost look like they are touching each other creating a small frame within frames effect. Both photographs highly concentrate on colour. The top photograph having a darker sky making the main focal point look alot more bolder and the sky in the second photograph being a pinkish/blue colour creating a warm photograph.

Above is a video I have found on youtube about John Shaw where he talks about his natural history of photography and what has kept him shooting for so long.


All John Shaw's photograph were found from this website http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Photography-Tips/g1attuky/1/The-Essential-John-Shaw.html

Research - Theme 2 - Tony Howell

Tony Howell is a professional photographer who mainly concentrates on landscape photography. He also experiments in a wide range of different types of photography. I am going to be concentrating on his historic building photography (churches and cathedrals). Tony Howell likes to keep his photography simple but at the same time likes to push a strong visual message with his photography. Below are ten photographs I found fascinating and how they inspired me. All these photographs can be found at by clicking on this link: http://www.tonyhowell.co.uk/photographsofchurches.htm

This is the first photograph that I have chosen from Tony's collection. This photograph is brilliant in many different ways. It's bright, colourful and the main focal point is really pushed out to be made clear. Darker shades of blue feature at the top of the photograph from the sky and then they gradually get lighter as you move down the photograph, this is very improtant that he has got this right with the right amount of colour as this makes the cathedral look more bolder and stand out more creating a strong bold photograph. Rule of thirds are also used here with the bottom half of the cathedral the bottom third, the middle of the cathedral the second third and the tops of the cathedral and sky the top half. I can also see how symmetry is used within this photograph. This is used with having the cathedral centred in the shot alongside the genral design of the cathedral itself.

This photograph is of the same building, the Wells cathedral. This photograph is taken from the other side of the cathedral. This photograph is simple but powerful as what he has done is centred the cathedral to make it the main focal point but he has also included it's surroundings into the shot which could also pull attention to the viewers eye. Again, rule of thirds is also used here but this time the ground being the bottom third, the cathedral being the middle third and the sky being the top third. Natural light has been used for this shot with the sun rear facing to Tony, it creates some natural warm colours onto the cathedral with a mixture of sunlight and the cathedrals natural colour. Colour is deeply concentrated within this shot especially in the sky as there are many different shades of blue within the photograph all the way down the different greens from the grass.

This photograph is of the same building again but taken at a different time of day. As you can see this creates a completely different photograph. Replacing the brighter shades of blue with darker shades creating a warmer photograph and in my opinion makes the cathedral stand out more making it look a lot more bolder and dominant. Again, with a rear facing sunlight shining onto the cathedral creates different yellows. Patterns and symmetry are also used here from the design of the cathedral almost being mirrored and from the patterns on the cathedral itself.

Where as this photograph concentrates on the use of angles showing how tall the tower is. A limited depth of field is used here as the main focal point covers most of the photograph. A mixutre of natural light from the moon and lights shining onto the building are also used here.

Another photograph using the rule of thirds. This photograph also uses lines to guide the eye with the pathway leading to the cathedral being the foreground and then the cathedral still being the main focal point in the background. This photograph was taken in quite strong light therefore creating splendid, warm vibrant colours both from the sky and the cathedral itself. Again, symmetry is included in this shot from the design of the cathedral.

This photograph is alot different to the other ones I have chosen. It takes a different approach than the other photographs. There is a strong use of light that is man made. The main focal point is the church in the background but the monument and bush in the foreground have made into a silhouette making the background stand out more with a strong contrast. With all of this used in the photograph Tony has created a very gloomy photograph of the church with not much colour used in the shot. Quite a large F-Stop would have been used in this shot to get the foreground and the background in focus.

As you can see from most of these photographs are simple but convey a strong historic visual message. This photograph uses a mixture of what natural light is available alongside bright lights that shine onto the church. This creates a warm coloured photograph which was taken from a level vantage point. As you can see the central focus is the church but also the gravestones that are scattered about the graveyard are also in focus to attract the viewers eye showing the history of this historic area. Use of colour is concentrated here from the different blues in the sky to the greens in the grass.

Something a little bit different here. This is what I also plan to practice, using black and white in the photograph. This conveys a compeltely different visual message to what it would if taken in colour. I feel that it gives a more historic look and feel to the photograph. As you can see there is a dramatic change in contrast at the top of the photograph. This is great as it makes the spire of the church more bolder than the other parts of the church. This also shows that natural light was used for this photograph alongside a clear sky. With rear facing sunlight shining onto the church it makes that particualr area look whiter than normal.

These are the final two photographs that I have chosen from Tony's collection. I have chosen these because I will be attempting these types of shots and I already have some which are shown from my St Peters Church photoshoot post. These have both been taken up close at an angle. This shows the building towering over the photographer creating a strong overlook effect. The first photograph is a little different to the second photograph, it uses angles but also concentrates on the patterns on the building. A mixture of zoom and a low F-Stop were used here to get everything in focus making it the main focal point in both photographs.

Tony has also been included in many different books and has two of his own. This one in particualr is most relevant as it includes most of his architecture photography and why he has taken them.



Research - Theme two - Andy Marshall

MY second piece of research will be based on my second theme which is built environment. For this theme I will be taking pictures of historic buildings. The reason I chose to undertake this type of photography is because of the inspiration from some of Andy Marshalls work. I will be choosing some of Andy's work and explaining the reasons why his work has inspired me. I will also be using some shots from my photoshoot that I went on the other day and comparing them with his work. All these photographs can be found from this link: http://andymarshall.co/?p=557

Andy Marshall is an Architectural photographer who has been taking photographs of the built environment for over 25 years. Over these years he has photographed many different styles of buildings ranging from buildings that have stood for hundreds of years to buildings of today. The main area of his work that really inspires me are the photographs of buildings that are very historic, mainly his photographs of churches and there interiors. The reason behind this is that his photographs aren't anything over the top but they compose a very historic visual message.

 This is the first piece of work of Andy's work that was an eye catcher. It is a photograph of the Cotswold church. Now when I look at this photograph the visual message I read is that the church is the centre of attention, it is the king of the surrounding area in the photograph. What he has also concentrated on in this shot is the colour. He manages to create a very colour concentrated photograph with the different blues in the sky and the greens in the grass. Also, with the sun behind him the natural light creates a beautiful haze effect surrounding the church. This also brightens the church up quite a lot aswell making it the main focal point. The rule of thirds composition has been used within this photograph, with the church and landscape being the bottom third and the sky being the top two thirds.

This photograph is also a piece of Andy's work which I am a big fan of. Again, it is a photograph of a church in Cotswold. This however takes a completely different look of this type of architectural photography. This time the photograph was taken in the evening time at sunset so this takes a lot more work to get the shot perfect with the minimum light that is available. This photograph has a lot of detail included in it from the sun shining onto the church to the church itself, but what I like the most about this shot is that he has managed to keep the church as the main focal point in the shop although there is so much included in it. This photograph takes a more gloom aproach with a nice concentration on colour from the clouds being grey and white slowly decending to different darker colours from the church and surrounding wall to pretty much black on the ground from the shadow of the church. The only problem with this shot is that there seems to be a mark on the lense from the reflection of the sun when it shone onto the camera. So this is a photograph is unique in its own way due to it taken at this time of day making it express a dark and gloomy visual message.

The above two photographs are my favourites, below, is a selection of some of Andy Marshalls work which also caught my eye. These photographs mainly concentrate on the interiors of the buildings.

These two photographs focus on frame within frames composition with both of them being taken whist standing before an archway and looking through it right the the window at the end of the hall. Both have similar colours and contrast showing the history of the church which is appropriate when trying to convey this visual message.

This photograph is also a frame within frames  concentrated photograph with an element of patterns on the ceiling of the church. With the room bright alongside the frame within frames composition this photograph is showing how beautiful and historic this church is.

This photograph shows some of the historic artifacts that are located at one of the Cotswold churches. He mainly focuses on symmetry and patterns in this shot as there are two sets of the same artifact next to each other. Also the pillars across the ceiling of the church also creates a patterns composition. These two artifacts are concentrated on the most in this photograph making them the golden section.

These two photographs were taken from the Chester cathedral. They both have a substantial amount of light and both include a lines to guide the eye composition. I would say that patterns are quite heavily concentrated in these photographs with the chairs leading down the cathedrals hall from the photo on the left and the concrete slabs and general design of the cathedral (pillars and ceiling) from the photo on the right. The photograph on the left also has a lot of depth use as the shot is being taken from the front of the cathedral right to the back.

This photograph was taken of the cathedrals ceiling. It is mainly centered and uses natural light. It concentrates mainly on patterns and symmetry from left to right with a separate pattern joining them in the centre. It might be quite hard to see but the design of the buildings structure also creates patterns from top to bottom.

The last photograph I have chosen from Andy Marshall's collection also uses patterns to create a beautiful piece of work. Again, this photograph was taken using all the natural light there was available at the time so this is why it appears to be quite dark. This isn't a bad thing though. With the light shining directly onto the window it creates a bold pattern from the frames between glass. Obviously the main focal point of the photograph are the stunning pieces of artwork on the glass windows which are patterns within themselves. A heavy use of colour is also concentrated in this photograph due to the fact that the glass has alot of different colours on it. These include many different colours ranging from different reds to different yellows and blues.

The above video is a little something I found on youtube. It displays Andy Marshall's work from the Victorian Gothic church. He mainly concentrates on the history of the interior of the church. I found it quite fascinating as there are many different types of photograph using colour, patterns, symmetry and different depths of field.