Category: Tasks

This week we were tasked with getting to know our camera better. We were told to go out and pick a theme and take some photos to get more experience with a camera. I also used this as an opportunity to test out Adobe’s Lightroom. I originally was planning on the theme of the Norwich skyline, however when I visited home I was unable to find time to complete this task. Therefore I decided that my theme would be the Lincoln South Commons.

Here are some of my favourite photos that I took today. Overall I took just over thirty.

I guess another theme that my photos have is earth like colours throughout. I shot the photos in raw and I was really surprised by the amount of detail retained, especially when I was able to go over them on my computer. I tried to focus on my framing and focus throughout, as I feel that as a photographer these are probably my weakest skills. While the photos I have taken might be a little simplistic, I am quite fond of them.

Here are some of the photos that I then decided to edit with Lightroom. I really enjoyed editing these photos and experimenting with Lightroom. Being able to change the colours hues, saturation, shadows and more was really useful and made for an interesting process. There are a few photos that really stand out for me, which I’ll go into more detail with.

Before I edited this photo the scene looked quite grey and dull, but with just a few simple adjustments I’ve made the photo look bright and inviting. I played around with the colour levels for green and yellow, and also upped the saturation. It’s just interesting to know that with a few simple changes you can really change the atmosphere of a scene.

I edited this photo to improve the framing. While not overly remarkable there is something about the photo I find quite pleasing. For this photo all I did was crop the right side of the image and also just sharpened the image a slight bit.

I found this little rabbit hole by accident as I was looking for my phone after I dropped it. I quite like how the grass acted as a frame to the hole, almost covering it up. I upped the vibrancy for this photo as I felt it suited the photo a lot better.

This is easily my favourite photo of the bunch that I took. The field seemed to stretch on forever, and the scene is divided almost perfectly. I also adjusted the warmth of the photo to give it the blue tint that it has. There’s just something about the photo that I find really aesthetically pleasing. I also used Lightroom to adjust the horizon to make that it was centred correctly and not tilted.

Overall I’m quite happy with this little task. While I’m hoping that my next project might be a bit more unique, I’m really pleased with how these photos came out, especially the last one. It was also really good to finally be able to experiment with Lightroom and see what the program is capable of, and to get to use my camera a little bit more.

 

In the seminar this week everyone was provided with a photo without context. We have been told not to look up the context of the photo, and to answer some questions provided.

 

What time period, decade or year do you think this photograph was created in? What visual cues support your choice?

I believe that the photo comes from the 21st century, most likely from the 2010s. I think it’s from this time period due to the decoration of the living room. It looks very modern, especially from the artistic decoration in the background. The clean, white walls also support this idea, as that’s decoration fashion trend of the 2000s, while the colours dominated the 1950-60s.

Where in the world was this photograph taken? Again, please detail your reasons for asserting your choice.

I am almost certain this photo was taken in the western half of the world, again due to the fashion trend being utilised in the decoration of the house. While still common in more wealthy households in England, I believe this photo was taken in North America. The household reminds me of one of the houses from Modern Family, which I believe has influenced my decision making regarding this photo. I believe that boxing is more popular in western culture too, however I am not certain of this.

In a short paragraph, how would you describe the key visual elements of the photograph? What is contained within the frame?

The key visual element of the photo is the two boys boxing in the centre. They seem very engaged in their activity, not acknowledging the camera. I would argue that the boy on the left is more of a focus on than boy on the right, due to the fact the boy on the left is closer to the centre while the boy on the right has his back towards the camera. However there is more to the photo than just these two boys. On the left you have the sofas, fireplace and plant, which suggests that the room is a living room. Behind the sofas is three shelves filled with art. This would suggest that the owners of the house are quite cultured.

How is/are the human subject(s) of the photograph engaging with the camera/photographer?

The two human subjects of the photograph are not actively engaging with the photographer or camera. They are both too engaged with their activity, with the boy on the right even having his back towards the camera.

What, if any directions do you think the photographer may have given to the subject(s) of the photograph?

I think the photographer definitely gave a lot of directions to the both of the boys. I imagine he had them stand on the right to fill the empty space, and told the boy on the left to punch while he likely told the boy on the right to face away from the camera.

What do you believe the photographer wants, you, the viewer to take from the image?

I don’t believe that there is a definitive meaning to this photograph, but that instead the photographer wants it to be open to interpretation. In my opinion the story behind the photograph seems to be that the two boys are fighting in the living room while their parents aren’t home. It doesn’t seem like they’re fighting because they’re angry at one another, but more in a sport like fashion. It looks like disaster is about to strike however as the twos boys’ recklessness could cause an accident, especially with the painting behind the boy on the right. The room is very tidy, which would insinuate any mess caused would be very noticeable.

Getting to know the Camera

This weeks lecture and workshop revolved around getting to know how to use a camera properly. This involved looking at exposure, focus, aperture and more. I’ve done photography in the past, however I have never really delved into camera settings and such to capture a better photo. However now I feel more confident with my camera and on how to operate it. Below are some photos I took while completing the task. The photos are quite simple in nature. I have titled them by what the task instructed.

 

 

An Image at the closet focus distance possible…

 

This photo is quite simple, it’s just an extreme close up on a tree outside the Swan. It’s the closet focus distance possible. I quite like this photo because the camera allows for a much more detailed look at the tree, you can see every little detail and each little glimpse of colour.

 

An Image Shot at a Wide Angle

This is photo is a wide angle shot, and features Brayford Pool. I quite like how the two trees on both sides act almost as a frame for the photo. I tend to favour wide angle shots, as you can just fit so much inside the photo. Here I have the Brayford Pool, the boats, the people on the other side, the buildings and even the cathedral on the hill.

 

The same subject from a Low Angle, and then a High Angle.

I took these photos again once I had got home, as I wasn’t quite happy with the ones I had taken while I was out. Again simple is nature, what I like about these two photos is how it demonstrates how two different angles can completely change the feeling and atmosphere of a photograph. The lamp dominates the low angle photo, if they were a person they would appear to be towering above the viewer. The second photo however is different as the lamp is no longer looking down at the camera, but instead the viewer of the photograph is now looking down at the lamp. Again if the lamp was replaced with a person the person would come across completely different to the person in the first photo.