Photoshoot - Theme One Cannock Chase

Aims

For this photoshoot I aimed to further improve my photography on nature. Here I aimed to take photographs of trees that were stand alone and centered in the shot. I aimed to gain similar works to the likes of Ansel Adams and John Shaw. I attempted this type of work when I went on another recent photoshoot but was unable to find a standalone trees with a good background so there was a lot of objects interupting the photographs making them look very crowded.

Equipment

* Canon 1000D

* Standard 18-55mm Lens

* 70-300mm Zoom Lens

* Tripod

* Spare Battery and Memory Card

Safety Considerations

Safety considerations played quite a big part on this photoshoot for many reasons. The first main reason was the setting. Cannock Chase is a huge area that has many different types of terrain. So I had to be wary of my bearings and took extra care when walking around the different areas. Again like my other photoshoot it was very hot and where there is a lot of pollen present so I took extra precautions when walking around to make sure my hayfever did not affect me to a dangerous level.

The Photoshoot

1/500, F-Stop 7.1, 400 ISO

This is the first photograph I have chosen from my collection. Personally, I am very happy with how this photograph turned out. I manage to include everything in the photograph that I intented to. I managed to centre th main focal point in the photograph and managed to take the photograph with a perfect, bright and colourful background. I took the photograph with the view of land in front of the tree to lead the viewers eye upto the main focal point which completely dominates the photograph. It was very bright especially in the background because it was just clear sky so a fast shutter speed was needed here.

1/500, F-Stop 7.1, ISO 400

This photograph takes a similar approach to the last one. The only difference is that there are three trees present instead of one main tree. This was intented as I have postioned them correctlty from left to right within the photograph instead of dotting them all over the place. This creates a lovely postional shot again with a beautiful background. Again colour also played a big part within this photograph from the different greens from the grass to the blues in the sky.

1/640, F-Stop 6.3, ISO 400

1/500,  F-Stop 7.1, ISO 400



Again, similar to the first photograph I aimed to get the tree centred in the middle of the photograph without any distractions interrupting the shot. Here I have focused highly on postion of the main focal point with the same amount of space between the tree and the edge of the frame on the left and right of both photographs This is pretty much equal making them look even more centered. Again, I have the ground leading upto the main focal point in both photographs creating a small lines that guide the eye compostion.

1/50, F-Stop 5.6, ISO 400

1/160, F-Stop 5.0, ISO 400

These two photographs are of the same theme but just a little bit different. Similar to Ansel Adams work I have attempted to have the main focal point right at the front of the photograph with the background becoming slightly blurred out as you go deeper into the photograph but still creating a pattern effect from the different tree barks. This didn't work too well on the first attempt but on the second attempt it seems to have worked quite well. This required quite a low shutter speed as these trees were very tall and blocked alot of the natural sunlight. I also had to use a low F-Stop so that the background would be out of focus.

Evaluation

Overall I am very pleased with how the photoshoot turned out. I was able to go out with a plan of what sort of photograph I was going to take and I was able to attempt these without any problems what so ever. I feel that I have managed to succesfully research a certain photographers work and was able to go out and attempt it myself. If I was to attempt this photoshoot again I would probably attempt the close up shots again. I would attempt this again as I feel I could experiment with my camera settings and positions a little more deeper to gain different results. I will be also looking at a few of my photographs that I have taken and making them black and white to match Ansel Adams work even more to see if the results are similar.

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

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.

Practice Night time photoshoot (Angles, Rule of thirds, Lighting)

Introduction

After researching Ian Aikens night time architect photography. I wanted to attempt these type of shots myself to connect with his work. This photoshoot was split into two halves. The first half was done without a tripod and the second part was done using a tripod. The reason for this is to show how big a difference there is when not using a tri-pod and in general great practice when using manual settings with the tripod. As you will be able to see further down the first few photographs are either a little blurry with the main focal point being out of focus and some just way too dark. After those photographs come the ones taken using the tripod. I will be concentrating on the use of angles and rule of thirds alongside using what natural light is available in combination with the lights outside the church.

Equipment


Camera: Canon 1000D

Lens: 18-55mm standard lens

Tripod


8Gb Memory card with spare 2Gb additional


Spare battery


Safety Considerations


With this photoshoot being taken at night there are a couple of safety considerations that are to take with interest. The obvious one is that it will be dark outside so I will need to be alert and be wary of my surroundings at all times. This will be taken highly into consideration as I will be on my own. One side of the church is near the river which will be ten times as dangerous at night as my vision will not be 100% so i will be taking extra care in that area.

Photoshoot

 

0"3, F-Stop 5.6, ISO 1600

As you can see this shot was taken without my tripod. It is pretty much impossible to get a photograph completely in focus using these settings without a tripod. What I was trying to concentrate on here was the rule of thirds to how Ian Aiken uses in his photographs. In a way it is pretty simple, get yourself in position and practice the shot with the right settings. Really, what I needed to do with this photograph was use a lower shutter speed because the top of the church is way too dark but without a tripod this was pretty much impossible. Although a little out of focus, a black background makes the church stand out a lot more alongside the light shining onto the church.

Add caption

Again, another photograph without using a tripod. This one isn't as bad as there is more light which shines onto the main subject in the photograph. Here what I have done is the same as Ian Aiken style of work with the use of light shining onto the church. As you can tell without using a tripod I was very limited to how exposed the camera was without it turning out blurry so parts of the church have turned out a little darker than normal. This is also a good thing as I have used as much light as I can which has created numerous colours and shades on the church and around the church.

1", F-Stop 7.1, ISO 1600

1"3, F-Stop 7.1, ISO 1600

These shots were taken using my tripod. As you can see there is a noticable difference in terms of sharpness, colour and lighting etc. For this I aimed to use the rule of thirds which worked quite well. I used as much natural light as possible but there was very little. It is easy to say that the light surrounding the church is dominant in this photograph creating different bright shades of yellow gradually going darker when moving up the church. With the background being completely dark it makes the main focal point (church) stand out alot more. A small use of shadows is used here aswell from the trees on the right of the photograph projecting a shadow onto the church. A very slow shutter speed is needed here otherwise the photographs would be way too dark so I feel the settings I used were perfect for the shot to get the right amount of colour and light into it.

3"2, F-Stop 5.0, ISO 1600



3"2, F-Stop 5.0, ISO 1600


These are my final two photographs I have chosen from the photoshoot and they are probably my best ones from the shoot. These were taken of the same church but at the front instead of the back. Here I have again used my tripod but I have slightly tilted it to an angle. This was purley for practice but the results were great. These photographs use a little more natural light alongside the light that was shining onto the church. This is great as it creates really warm smooth colours not only in the sky but on the church itself. I did this by taking these shots just before nightfall, this is the same kind of shot that Ian Aiken has attempted and has come up with the same kind of results.

Evaluation

Overall I feel that this photoshoot has been very succesful and has been a great learning curve for me. I have learned that to get much more better results when taking photographs at night use a tripod. I have also learned new skills when aiming for a specific theme when taking my photographs whilst trying to match another photographers style. If I was to attempt this photoshoot again which I most probably will I will be expermenting with different ISO's to see what different types of photograph can end up with. When I go out next time I will also be concentrating on a different type of style of photograph rather than the ones I have concentrated on this time. This will create different types of photograph and will be good practice.