I have tended to add my personal reflections about how the course is going and what I am learning into posts as I am learning about new concepts or photographers. However, I understand that when my work is assessed at the end of the course, the assessor will be looking for evidence that I have developed and learned during the course.
thinking time
So this section will be a ‘dear diary’ section to log my personal journey through the course
My thoughts about deep and shallow depths of field:
here are some of my own images which demonstrate use of different depths of field.
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.
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.
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
Autumn Leaves, Hotham Park, November 2016
Reflection:
In general I was really pleased with the feedback I received from my first assignment.
What went well:
My tutor felt that I had prepared well, but allowed myself to be open to the experience and serendipity. I have photographed this area on many occasions before, but I do feel that I went with a view that I wanted to learn something new. Although, I do feel I have taken better images at other times, I do think I was looking at it with new eyes in trying to answer this brief. For me the learning point here, is that even familiar places and things and always reveal something new if look in a different way.
I do think that I consider composition when I’m taking photos, so was pleased that he felt that I showed compositional abilities and an ability to ‘choose my moment’. However, having just completed Exercise 1.2, placing ‘the point’ in different positions and seeing how that relates to the frame has already made me think I would like to challenge myself compositionally as I tend to stick to rule of thirds and triangles.
What could be improved:
My tutor felt that by naming the images, I was directing the viewer what to think. Particularly the one I called ‘Stage ride by’ which he found distracting as he didn’t know what it meant. I realised that locals know that there are two white structures by the side of beach, one of which is called ‘the stage by the sea’, but of course it isn’t obvious without the explanation so I agree that this was misleading and a distraction.
One of the photos was underexposed slightly and therefore looked out of kilter with the rest of the set.
and finally, he felt that the photos would be better represented if I showed them as full size individual photos.
Actions to take: