Category Archives: Feedback & Reflection

Assignment 5 – ‘Hangout’

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Having submitted my final assignment, I was finally able to talk with Clive (my tutor) face to face.  Work commitments have meant I’ve only had written feedback up until now so it I felt it was really important to actually speak with him this time and I’m really pleased I was able to.  Certainly a learning point for future courses; to speak with my tutors more often.

Clive had looked at my assignment and my blog and gave me some great feedback. 

He felt that I need to get away from the ‘day out with my kids’ theme and try and put some distance between myself and subject to give them a more observational and dispassionate feel. More of a comment on what a family does on a day out rather than this particular family.

He suggested I take a look at the work of Tony Ray-Jones as he felt my work was somewhat reminiscent of his and Martin Parr, although Martin Parr is a little less flattering of his subjects. Having now done so, I totally get what he means.  My write up Tony Ray-Jones can be read here.

On the individual images Clive felt that image #1 was weak and very ‘postcardy’ which I completely agreed with him on.  I had included this image to try and set the scene, but to be honest it doesn’t inspire me so why I thought it would anyone else is a silly.  I only have 10 images to make an impact and I chose that one!!!! 

he picked out image #2 as interesting and #9 as a good ‘stock’ shot but not adding much to this project.He thought #7 was a strong image.  Having looked again at that and Tony Ray-Jone’s work I think I understand what I should be looking for now.

I suggested redoing the whole assignment, which Clive thought was a possibility but also that having looked at the contact sheets there may be enough, with some re-editing to refocus this set of images.  Having had another look through, I do think this is a possibility so am going to try that first. Especially with the inspiration from Ray-Jones and Parr I think I have the basis of what could be an interesting study.

In relation to my blog, Clive advised to change my banner photo to something more appropriate to work I have been producing as he felt that it might give the wrong impression of the kind of photographer I am to an assessor.  I have taken that advice and changed it.

I was reminded about buying a clam shell box, which I’ve already done and about printing my images ready for assessment, making sure to leave a decent sized boarder on the sheet.

Thanks again Clive, it was great to talk with you

My actions from this:

  • look up Tony Ray-Jones’ work and relate it to my own
  • rework my assignment from a more observational and dispassionate viewpoint
  • let Clive know when I’ve redone it so he can give feedback
  • start preparing my work for assessment in November

back to Assignment 5 – Photography is simple (reworked)

 

Assignment 4 – Tutor Feedback & Reflection

read tutor feedback here

I’m really pleased that Clive agreed with my decision to reshoot my assignment. I must learn not to doubt myself.  I knew once I’d finished the images that I was much happier with the results and Clive’s comment that “the reworked assignment shows you how important it is to follow your bliss” has a real resonance with me.

I was called out on my lack of book reading and he’s definitely right, I have done quite alot of research on line, but not books, so I have rectified that by buying a few of the books on the reading list. (secondhand from Amazon!)

  • The Genius of Photography, Gerry Badger
  • The Photograph: A Visual and Cultural History (Oxford History of Art)
  • Ways of Seeing (Penguin Modern Classics)
  • How to Read a Photograph: Understanding, Interpreting and Enjoying the Great Photographers.

The first one arrived this morning, so expect a book review shortly 

Clive’s advice for the next assignment, is to take my time and ‘find what feels most you’. This will the be last impression an assessor will have of my work so it needs to show my progress from assignment 1.  Having had a quick look at the brief, I think this could be very interesting

 

 

 

 

Project 2 – Lens Work – thoughts

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My thoughts about deep and shallow depths of field:

here are some of my own images which demonstrate use of different depths of field.

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Long Furlong, April 2017

24mm f/22, 1/100 sec, ISO100 – came across this view whilst driving between Rustington and Findon.  Reminded me of the Windows default screen and stopped to take this photo. I agree that the small f stop and wide angle do work well for this kind of landscape. However, the notion that by having everything in focus, the view can choose where to look and focus within the scene seems a little mute!  Afterall, as the photographer, haven’t we already chosen where we want our views to look.  In most cases we will have edited the image as well, thereby, enhancing the characteristics we want to promote.  Admittedly, one does have the option to roam around with the image and look at different elements within it. Perhaps that what Bazin means:

(Bazin (1948) quoted in Thompson & Bordwell, 2007)

I think that possibly, I like directing the viewers eyes to what I think is important, because it’s probably why I took the photo in the first place.

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Poppies, Brighton, June 2017

These other photos are more my normal style, using a shallower depth of field, or in the case of the woodpecker, the use of the zoom lens, because the subject is not close, which almost forces the background to be out of focus.

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Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Millers Wood, April 2017

In this autumn leaves photograph I wanted to focus in on the leaves, but I love the colour contrasts between the leaves and the background and with the very shallow depth of field it gives a very abstract look

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Autumn Leaves, Hotham Park, November 2016