My approach to Assignment Three was very different to the previous assignment. I didn't prepare or have a wish list at all. Having read ahead to the assessment instructions, I shot images continuously over several months looking for subjects that would fulfill both the course exercises and the assignment. In preparation I had thought about where I would find the colour combinations (see Preparation), but I found that in practice I was thinking on the hoof and hitting the ground running more often than not. I was particularly interested in macro photography and the colour combinations provided by nature and less interested in creating still life arrangements to photograph, so I sought out locations where I would find birds, plants and butterflies.
I also found, and this surprised me, that I was not as motivated by particular colour combinations or one combination over another. I find that the elements of a frame are much more interesting than the colours. I like colours, whether bold or subtle, but am happy to accept those that are provided in the scene in question, rather than needing to seek particular colours.
This assignment was also harder than the previous two: partly because I shot significantly more photos than the other two, and so had more to choose from and eliminate, and also because one combination - yellow/purple - was very hard to find naturally. I wanted to avoid using the classic pansy shot for this combination and so restricted it to the coursework so as to demonstrate more imagination. I ended up using an image I had previously shot in Norfolk during my expedition to shoot for Assignment Two, as I hadn't found anything else that was even close to relevant.
As preparation for this section and assignment I read Colour by Michael Freeman, Colour Light Composition by Bishop, Macro through a Nikon Lens by Angel, and The Essential Colour Manual by Rutter for information and inspiration. I realised that I do not know enough about processing or using my software to really benefit from them in terms of colour (although I do usually saturate my colours), but I found great inspiration from Bishop and Angel with the macro information.
Here are some of the shots that I excluded, although these were difficult decisions:
Complimentary red and green; I liked this macro image because of the detail picked up in the plant and the light at the tip of the shoot, but I felt that overall the shot isn't very dynamic. I was more drawn to the corals I used in the final selection because the colours were more vivid.
Complimentary blue and orange; I really liked this image and very nearly did include it in the assignment, but stopped short because I felt that it was the fantastic sky and light that made it rather than the colour harmony. But even now, I am hesitating and wondering whether I should substitue for the blue/orange shot of the bridge over the Thames.
Similar brown and yellow: I excluded this because I felt I was more drawn to the monster I'd created rather than the colour combinations. This image is all about light and detail, rather than colours.
Similar brown and yellow: an owl butterfly resting. Despite the beautiful wings and excellent colour combinations, plus the harmonious background, I excluded this on the basis that it was at the end of the day, a picture of a butterly rather than anything creative. Plus the antennae are too tightly cropped at the top of the frame.
Similar purple and green: a view of a shop window excluded as this is not my own design and the image is flat with no contrast in lighting.
Similar red, yellow, brown, orange: a view of some food in a Chinese restaurant in London's Chinatown excluded because it is not an attractive photo, although it does illustrate the point of the exercise.
Contrasting orange and purple: a view of the owl butterfly with it's wings flat - this was a close call. I excluded in the end because I didn't feel that the photo had creat composition and it was also too blurred. Had the head been in focus, I might have included it.
Contrasting blue/green and yellow: view from my front door in Feltham. I felt that this photo illustrated the point of the exercise, but it's not an interesting image.
Contrasting green against yellow and orange: a macro shot of a winged creature visiting a plant. I liked this image very much because of the macro result, but didn't feel that the contrast was very effective. If the fly had been a bit greener, it might have been included.
Contrasting brown and green: classic Lake District scene but excluded because the contrast is too subtle. The brown and green in the brickwork and wood work are so blended that the contrast is not very clear.
Red accent against green: a canoeist paddling down the Thames around Sunbury; I think this is a very effective accent but I preferred the shot I included of the danger sign in the end because I liked the reflection. However, I think this shot is possibly better composition than the one I included of the danger sign, but I don't like it as much. Maybe because there is too much green.
Blue accent against brown, orange and yellow: a duck on a Derwent Water jetty with an accent provided by nature in the blue feathers. I think this is an effective accent but not a great photo. It's just a picture of a duck which has been tightly cropped to exclude the duckmess on the jetty.
Red accent against green and black: a butterfly at London Zoo taken with a macro lens. I was really proud of this picture to begin with - particularly with the detail of the proboscis being in focus, but after a few weeks of seeing it on my screen saver at work (my new tactic for spotting defects) I realised that the black smudge in the background is distracting. I tried to tone it down or change it to green, but my processing skills aren't good enough, so unfortunately it got eliminated.
Assessment Criteria
Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills: I think the work I did with my macro lens demonstrates an advance of technical and visual skills. I have a separate macro blog now to record progress and am really pleased with how far this has come. The two plant shots I included in the assignement demonstrate these skills. I think also the very subtle purple accent shot at the Hindu temple also demonstrates good visual skills.
Quality of Outcome: I think I have presented my work in a coherent way and am able to provide objective thought and commentary. I have on occasions included images that fulfill the criteria but are not necessarily successful photos in their own right and have reflected this in the commentary: the yellow/violet shot of the bees on a purple flower in a cornfield is an example of this. The one subjective decision made was the shot of the Atlas Moth - I think this was more about the moth's face, and the indignity of being held up like that by the zookeeper than the colours, but I couldn't not include it as I felt that it was such an unusual view of this creature.
Demonstration of Creativity: although I personally am not motivated by still life photography, I think the shot of the macaroons is quite creative: I tried several arrangements before I found one that worked and liked the effect of the light and the tight cropping. I also liked the detail of the texture of the biscuits. I think the landscape shots I included are also creative - I tried hard to find aspects that distinguished them from postcard pictures such as the lighting and lens perspectives. I think also the advances made with my macro lens show a more creative way of thinking than previously.
Context: I have reflected my thoughts on the balance, ratios and movement in the commentary where appropriate and tied this back to the research conducted and knowledge gained during the course. I think I am able now to think more critically about my work than previously evidenced by the decisions made to exclude images. The weakest image included is the bees on the purple flower. I did read many blogs by other students to get ideas on yellow/violet: I found that some people used purples that verged on red or created still life arrangements, which didn't really inspire me. I also tried to buy flowers to make my own arrangement, but left it too late and failed to find the right combinations at the time. I tried also to manipulate a blue/yellow lake district scene into a purple/yellow arrangement but it just didn't look real, so I fell back on the flower shot previously in Norfolk. I saw from the criteria notes that Context also includes learning logs: my blog has taken on a life of its own. I never imagined it would take the form that it has and it now seems to be growing organically of its own accord!
On balance though, I think I have fulfilled the criteria; it was hard to make photos about colour, and also make photos that stand up in their own right. The landscape shots (Haystacks, Derwent Water and O2) are probably the best examples of images that demonstrate the colour combinations required and which are also all round complete images, but I am also very pleased with the two macro plant images.
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