Preparation for Assignment Two

29th June

Assignment two brings together the work relating to lines and shapes in the second chapter of the course manual. Feedback from the first assignment was to think about what inspires me, so I have started early on to think about where I am going to do the work. I also know that I have a tendency to think only about composing the particular task of the exercise and not about the composition of the image as a whole. So for this assignment I wanted to produce a complete piece of work: something that tells a story rather than a batch of random photographs and present them in a way that delivers a final product, rather than just a random collection of images.

Creative Research

For location, I want to find somewhere with subject matter that clearly delivers strong lines and shapes, as this is what the assignment requires, but also strong colours. Although the course materials imply that black and white images produce stronger lines, my coursework has shown that this is not always the case. I like black and white for street photography, portraits, and dynamic landscapes, but I found with the coursework that colour is sometimes necessary for enhancing shapes or producing lines. An example of this is the image of the flowers arranged in vertical columns at Victoria Station. So for location, I wanted 3 elements:

1. Strong lines and shapes

2. Potential for bold colours

3. Ability to tell a story

The opportunities coming up between now and the assignment deadline are:

1. Weekend in Norfolk: Blakeney Harbour will produce great lines and shapes, seals will produce points and hopefully lavender fields will deliver amazing perspectives (with a wide-angled zoom).

2. Forthcoming balloon flight in Cumbria: not sure that this will deliver all the requirements of the assignment plus the weather could be dreadful and the pictures are likely to be blurred due to nerves! Option disregarded - better to enjoy the occasion and not attempt to multi-task. Might be worth visiting the site though on another occasion and photograph someone else's balloon taking off!

3. Day trip to Whitstable: as with Norfolk likely to deliver lines and shapes from the boats etc plus an opportunity to focus on documenting what happens in a harbour.

4. Visit to Workington Port: this could be very interesting with strong shapes and colours present in the containers and machinery.

5. A location in Cumbria that presented clear geological features: opportunity to document a geology walk. Question is will it be possible to fulfil all the elements of the assignment? This would mean doing some detailed research beforehand.

6. A historical and/or building with interesting architecture e.g The Royal Courts of Justice - this is something I could do anytime - winter or summer so this option is reserved as a back up plan if none of the other opportunities are productive.

7. Olympic structures at Stratford - although opportune am not really inspired by this option
8  Photographing elements captured along the M6 (I spend a lot of time on the M6); this would work - I know I would complete the assignment....but what an uninspiring topic!

Technical Research

To get some additional ideas and inspiration, the next step was to re-read The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman as this really explains well the elements of the exercise and expands on the coursework. In addition I will look at other students' blogs to see how they treated the assignment.

Tasks and wishlist

Assuming the Norfolk trip is successful, this is what I'm hoping to achieve (without wishing to plan too much ahead):

• Single point dominating the composition: a seal or boat in the sea - Freeman demonstrated that slightly off centre is moderately dynamic and the image (image 5 page 69) he showed was improved by the captured action
• Two points: a couple of seals or boats in the sea - I might not have a choice about placement as these objects could be moving, but I liked the composition in Freeman's horizontal frame of Raking Rice on page 70 of the workers walking through the shot from left to right with each person slightly off centre
• Several points in a deliberate shape: a group of objects e.g. seals, people, boats, pebbles - Freeman's examples were still life shots arranged in a deliberate shape so I will have to see what I find
• A combination of vertical and horizontal lines: boat masts against the landscape, a sunset or people queueing will be a bonus - the coursework showed how horizontal lines work in a landscape and boat masts are an obvious choice of verticals; likely to be a horizontal frame in order to capture more verticals and longer horizontals.
• Diagonals: perspectives taken in the lavender fields - the coursework showed how linear perspectives can be a achieved with a wide-angled lens.  Have previously seen many beautiful images of converging lines of lavender in a field so desperately hoping this will deliver!
• Curves: hayrolls in a field and even better if  several are found in a concentric curve, although could be the wrong time of year - if not a group of seals in a curved shape will be a bonus, although lucky...Freeman makes many suggestions for curves on pages 80 and 81 - I might be lucky enough to see seagulls in flight in an implied curve or some curved or circular objects around the boats
• Distinct, even if irregular shapes: a windmill or the village signpost - a combination of rounded a straight-lined shapes would be good
• At least two kinds of implied triange: ?  The coursework, and on pages 84 and 85, Freeman demonstrates that implied trianges are achieved by the placement of three objects.  I will have to see what I can find!  Maybe I'll find something in the lavender gardens for one of the images.
• Rythmn: something by the harbour?  On page 48, Freeman states that several elements in a scene may present a rhythmic visual structure as the eye moves from left to right.
• Pattern: poppies in a field would be a great find.  On page 50, Freeman explainst that pattern is associated with area rather than direction and covers the area so that the eye roams across the surface of the picture and will usually extend beyond the frame.  He also shows how a pattern can be successfully broken by the placement of an similar but different object.

10th July

The trip to Norfolk was successful - I got a lot of good shots that I can use for the assignment and including some that were on my wishlist :)  The weather was largely pleasant so I benefitted from good lighting and was only really let down with the with the lavender shots, when the weather had changed (and the lavender patch was significantly smaller than I had imagined and was definitely not a field!) and also the fact that I forgot my N-grad filters and missed out on a really good opportunity to use them in the hay fields and at the windmill.  As I had achieved a number of shots that I had already planned, the final selection was not that difficult.  However, I still made myself go through the process of looking at all the images that qualified in the individual categories to be certain of selecting the best ones and being careful not to chose photos just on the basis of stunning Norfolk skies!  The final results will be submitted for the assignement.

In the meantime, the balloon trip taking off from Carlisle racetrack also produced some interesting shots.  I decided against using these for my assignment as they are mostly snapshots (using Auto because of the lighting and desire for speed and not wanting to risk making any mistakes) and not really composed with course work in mind.  Also, I cheated a little bit using a fish eye lens to get the curved horizon....This also would have been a good opportunity to present a sequence of composition exercise; I took a total of 266 photographs from preparing the balloon, take off, flight, descent, landing and putting the balloon away, which together would make a good sequence. I would like to repeat this experience, at least twice more!  Once in a safari-type situation and just enjoy the experience, and another time somewhere else to think really hard about the photography and achieve some creative shots.

Diagonals

Two points

Single point

Rhythm

Curves

Curves

Curves

Pattern

Distinct,even if irregular, shapes

Several points in a deliberate shape

Implied triangle

Implied triangle

Horizontal and vertical lines

Implied triangle

Implied Lines

Two photographs in the course work to examine.

The first showing a Spanish bullfighter confronting a bull in a ring, there is a clear "s-shaped" line starting from the corner of the right-hand flag running across the fighter's shoulders and into the left-hand flag corner and then along the ground following the tracks the bull has made.  In this case the line could flow in either direction depending on whether you follow the bull turning clockwise or the fighter turning anti-clockwise. There is also a strong line reflecting the fighter's probably intense gaze onto the bull; you can image that he does not want to take his eyes off the subject for one minute!  Finally, I have included a line showing the bull's direction of travel.  I have made this line weaker as the bull is probably changing directions constantly, so the direction shown here is likely to be temporary.

The second photograph, Threshing Corn in Sicily by Gottard Schuh, there are implied lines between the horses faces and the farmer.  I have shown here a stronger line for the nearer horse looking at the farmer, as he is bound to him by the reins, but it could work either way. In addition there are circular lines showing the direction of travel of the horses.

The next part of the exercise was to find three of my own photographs and repeat the same analysis.  I restricted myself to candidates taken between starting the course in late March 2012 and the end of the first assignment about contrasts. 

In the first image selected of some tourists in Keswick, Cumbria, there is an implied line from the camera and the gaze of the tourists towards something outside the frame of the photo (it was in fact a crazy golf course they were studying). 

My second selection is of a wind turbine in Workington, Cumbria.  There is a circular line depicted shows an implied line of direction (not sure if clockwise or anti..) of the blades turning.

My final choice is a photo of my husband at the Honister Slate Mine in Cumbria.  There are two implied lines in this image: the first showing the extension of his eye-line looking at the slates and the second one showing movement of his foot off the ground as he leans in to get a closer look.

The exercise then required the planning and taking of photos showing a) an eye-line and b) the extension of a line, or lines that point.   I did some of my planned shooting for this chapter in Brighton on a fabulously sunny day and the rest in the Lake District where I spend a lot of time.

The first of these, is of my friend Svetla (a willing photography subject and fellow enthusiast) taking a photo of a giant red poppy in the grounds of the Brighton Pavillion.

The second image of lines that point was shot in Keswick and is a scene I know well.  This is the street that my house is on and I am still excited about being able to see a mountain, Skiddaw, at the end of it.  The diagonal lines made by the cars at the parked along the road point towards the end of the street, and then the verticals in the houses and chimney pots point up to the peak of Skiddaw.

Curves

Take four photographs using curves to emphasise movement and direction:


Movement and direction is captured in this shot; the eye is drawn through the curve of the bridge to expose a curved river bed (low water level) and the river swirling against the pebbles.

The curves are equally present when converted to black and white.

Man-made curves in these chains at the Honister Slate Mine in Cumbria and also the curved path they hang over.  There is movement and direction as they coil around the wooden joinst in a continous fashion.  There are also curves within the chains forming the individual links themselves.

The image also works well in black and white: the lines are clear, but it's a pity that the tones of the terracotta against the rusty chains are lost.





A curve is present in the space created by the branch.  Direction is implied, either clock-wise or anti-clockwise as you can image something sliding down the branch or trunk and up the other side.

The image works just as well in black and white; the curves with implied direction are still present.

The curved shape adopted by the slug as it travels across a rocky wall towards some ferns; direction and movement are captured in this image.

The impact of the curve is not lost on converstion to black and white, but I prefer the colour version because of the orange colouring of the rock wall.

Diagonals

Take four photographs using diagonals strongly:

Strong diagonal in this shot with the composition such that the bungee rope reaches opposite corners of the frame.  This is though contrived.

Diagonal lines here implied by the perspective of the train waiting on the platform with the vanishing point the small opening of the end of the platform.

Diagonal line here in the actual structure of the ramp and railing in Brighton.  Diagonal motion is also implied by the couple walking down the ramp.

Diagonal lines in the landscape, both in the shape of the mountain side (Skiddaw in Cumbria) and the gullies, and the way in which the slate scree falls down the slope with the grassy patches growing in between.

In black and white, the lines of the bungee rope are clear, but the image is dull compared to the colour one, without the vibrant blue of the sky.

The train platform retains the diagonal lines on conversion to black and white, and the role of the light and reflection in this photo is stronger without the distraction of colour.

In the Brighton shot, the diagonal lines are also clear, but the image lacks the vibrancy of the colour shot.

Surprisingly, the diagonal lines are retained in this photo; I thought they may be lost once the colours of the slate and grass where execluded, but they remain present.  I like the black and white conversion here - it provides more texture than the colour image.

Horizontal and vertical lines

Horizontal lines

Sunny day in Brighton: horizontal lines created by the horizon (albeit cluttered), sea and beach (obvious choice) but then also by the imposition of the promenade, the base of the wheel and some of the background architecture.  Although other types of lines are present, the horizontal dominates.






In black and white, the image also works: the horizontal lines are clear and the lines created by the background architecture stand out better.

A park in Keswick: horizontal lines clearly present in the fencing and the shadows, but there is a dominant suggested horizontal line in the sense of motion from left to right of the gentleman in the mobility scooter.








I don't think this image works very well in black and white; the green tones are lost and this also makes the horizontal lines disappear.  The sense of joy that the gentleman had in the sunny park also disappears.

Containers near the port of Workington in Cumbria: oblong shapes with clear horizontals reinforced by the writing on the sides forcing the eye to read left to right.

In black and white the image becomes quite boring.  Although the horizontal lines are still clear, the visual impact of the three primary colours red, yellow and blue (sky) is lost.

Horizontal lines present in the landscape: meadow, lake, field and also in the shade of the tree in the foreground.








In black and white, the horizontal lines still stand out but the contrast provided by the colours is lost and the image is not nearly as pretty or interesting as it is in colour.









Vertical lines

Vertical lines are created in this image shot at Victoria station (for once I didn't get "told off"!) - the lines are present in the sliding doors of both the carriage and the platform protection, the oblong shape windows, the reflections and the yellow vertical stripe.

As the vertical lines are structural they are still present in the black and white conversion, however the yellow is lost which removes some brightness from the image.

Vertical lines provided here by the tree trunks shot in some woods in Cumbria.  The diagonal slope of the ground contrasts with the upright trees and emphasises the verticals further.










I really like the image in black and white; the vertical lines seem even stronger than in colour.  The black and white also helps reduce some of the over exposure of the sunny patches.

Many vertical lines here in this image of a jetty on Lake Derwent, Cumbria: the jetty posts, the metal rods attached to the post, the window frames of the boat, the bow of the boat and even the neck of the duck.







The vertical lines are still strong in the black and white conversion, but on balance I prefer the coloured image as I like the tones of the wood against the lake.

This shot was taken at a flower stall at Victoria Station in London.  I cropped it tightly to focus on the bands of colour forming vertical stripes of orange, yellow, white, mauve and pink.

The vertical lines are all but lost in the black and white conversion; this image relies on colour to convey the vertical lines.





Analysis

Of the list provided in the course materials I included the following:

Horizontal: horizon, man-made flat surfaces, long shadows, and my own alternatives, elements of the landscape, writing, motion and man-made substances (fencing wire).

Vertical:  walls, posts and other man-made structures, and my own alternatives, light and shade, and colour.

Overall, I found that vertical lines were much easier to find than horizontal lines, although these were mainly man-made substances. Although the course materials have implied that black and white images should be stronger in terms of lines, I have found that this is not necessarily the case.  Where lines are implied by colour this is clearly not going to work.  In addition, in some of my cases, although the lines were strong, the colour contributed significantly to the visual effect.  In other cases the tonal values weren't strong enough for the black and white to be successful, e.g. large areas of grass or vegetation.  Two images that worked well in black and white were the beach at Brighton and the woodland in Cumbria.