Part 1: The Frame

Looking Through the Viewfinder

Ex 1: Fitting the Frame to the Subject

Ex 2:  Object in Different Positions in the Frame
Ex 3:  A Sequence of Composition
Ex 4:  Focal Lengths
Ex 5:  Focal Lengths and Different Viewpoints
Ex 6:  Balance
Ex 7:  Positioning the Horizon
Ex 8:  Vertical and Horizontal Frames
Ex 9:  Cropping
Reflection


Ex 1: Fitting the Frame to the Subject

Location: Mersea Island.

This exercise was to find a subject that could be walked around and photographed from different positions.  Four photographs were to be taken.  The first as a quickly taken conventional photograph, the second was to fit the frame.  The third photograph to show detail and the fourth with the subject filling about a quarter of the frame.

I spent plenty of time trying to think of a subject for this exercise and in the end one just presented it's self as I was out walking.

The First photograph was taken from the road running along the harbour.

ex1-1

This next image shows the boat filling the frame.

ex1-2

Photograph three shows more detail.  Not only do the occupants have a secondary decked area, they have a second boat.

ex1-3

The final photograph shows the boat with it's surroundings.  This was taken from the shore line with the tide just turning.  If I had arrived an hour later I could still be looking for my subject.

ex1-4

Ex 2:  Object in Different Positions in the Frame

Location: Mersea

This exercise was to take four photographs of the same subject with the subject positioned in different positions within the frame.

I had to try this exercise a few times because I wasn't happy with the subject, or I had to crop the images and cheat which isn't me at all.  The final images that I came up with work on the whole, but It's a shame I had to include the horizon on the first one.  I just couldn't get high enough to miss it out.

The first image shows the boat in the lower half of the frame.  With the horizon in view gives proportion and meaning to this image. I think this one works best because of this.

ex2 -1

Image two has the boat almost central, because of the direction the boat is facing I think this image works on the whole.

ex2-2

Image three with the boat higher in the frame doesn't work for me.  The boat is facing into the frame but is too high for it to make sense.

ex2-3

The final image with the boat on the right doesn't work either.  The boat looks as if it is stuck in the corner unable to move.

ex2-4

Ex 3:  A Sequence of Composition


Location: Colchester Zoo

This exercise was to record the way you approach a subject.
I had a couple of false starts with this exercise.  I first tried taking some pictures at the local market, but with tall buildings and dark shadows covering the stalls I had problems with the exposure.  Blown pixels in the sky and whites was the main problem or the picture was too dark to get any detail.


The subject that I wanted to record was a busker, ideally on the underground in London.  This just wasn't to be and buskers are in short supply locally.


I tried the subject shown twice.  I wasn't happy with the first sequence I took and so returned another day to try again.

The subject is of the feeding time at the elephant house.

The sequence starts with the queue forming at the gates to the elephants paddock.

ex3-1

ex3-2

The elephants are pacing as they know what is about to happen.

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As feeding time gets closer the elephants make there way to the yard.

ex3-5

The lady organizing the feed checks her watch and it's show time.

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Food is handed out by the volunteer team.

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Information is constantly being given during the feeding time.

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As the feeding time comes to an end the food is running out.

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Just a few pieces left.

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As the crowds thin it is easier to get closer shots.

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The final image of the mother and child feeding the elephants shows what this experience is all about.  It's a chance for children of all ages to get close to and be slobbered by such huge animals.  I'm sure it was a talking point for many families that day.

ex3-26

Focal Lengths


Ex 4:  Focal Lengths


Location:  Dovercourt overlooking Harwich / Ramsey Windmill

This  exercise shows that the relationship between different objects is the same.  I have included crops of the wider images.

ex4-1.  18mm

ex4-2.  50mm

ex4-3.  75mm

ex4-4.  300mm

ex4-3 75mm cropped

This image (ex4-3 cropped f11 1/160sec ISO100) shows a comparison to the previous image (ex4-4 f11 1/400sec ISO200). The only noticeable difference is the colours within the images.  This could be put down to different exposures.

ex4-5.  18mm

ex4-6.  80mm

ex4-8.  300mm

ex4-6 80mm cropped

Again the cropped image above is to show comparison to the previous image (ex4-8)

Ex 5:  Focal Lengths and Different Viewpoints

Location:  Dovercourt

This exercise was to photograph the same scene but with different angle of view but keeping the main point of interest the same size within the frame.  I chose to photograph one of the lighthouses at Dovercourt at 300mm, 50mm and 18mm. 

I was surprised at how far I had to walk from the position I took the image from at 300mm to a suitable position to frame the scene at 50mm.  I was surprised also how close I had to get to the object at 18mm.

In the narrowest angle (300mm) the background appears to be close to the point of interest.  The buildings are obvious and not tucked away in the background.  They are definitely part of the image.

I the wider angle images the buildings are smaller and appear further away (considering I moved closer then for the images).

The image at 300mm appears compressed by reducing the perception of depth.  The wider angle invites the viewer in as the foreground leads into the photograph, it makes the viewer fell part of the image.

ex5-1.  300mm

ex5-2.  55mm

ex5-3.  18mm

ex 5-4.  300mm

ex5-5.  55mm

ex5-6.  18mm

Dividing the Frame

Ex 6:  Balance


This looked like a straight forward exercise upon reading what was required, but the more I looked through my photographs, the less I could find balance.  Apart from the obvious images with only two points of interest I found interpreting where the balance was quite difficult and frustrating.  I almost got to the point where I thought about putting pencils up my nose to see if it would help.  Rather than pushing my sanity I returned to this exercise after a couple of days of thought.

Having read the blogs of some of the other students I have to concede that most of my  images are not balanced.  Looking at images of other people, I can see how they are balanced quite easily, but with my own it isn’t as simple.  Is this because with other photographs they are new and fresh to me and with mine I am looking too deep?  I think it is probably just a fact that it’s something I haven’t been aware of before and so haven’t used as a compositional tool before.

The first two images are pretty straightforward.  With two points of interest, one on each side of the frame the images are naturally balanced.

ex6-1

ex6-1b

ex6-2

ex6-2b

The following image is balanced by the trees filling the left side of the shot with the track expanding to fill the right.

ex6-3

ex6-3b

This shot is almost symmetrical within it's layout.  Colours and tones are the only main difference within the centre section.

ex6-4

ex6-4b

Not only is this picture balanced between the railing of the swimming pool steps with the ensemble in the background, but also with the four poles running in regular intervals across the rear of the image.

ex6-5

ex6-5b

The four windows are connected together by colour and texture.  The structure on the roof being central is holding the balance together like a keystone.

ex6-6

ex6-6b

Is the image below balanced?  I think it is, with the colour on one side and lack of colour on the other I think this contrast balances each other out. 

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ex6-7b

Ex 7:  Positioning the Horizon

Location:  Flatford

This exercise was to see how the position of the horizon affected the photograph.
I took a meter reading from the grass and set my camera to manual using this setting.  I photographed the scene changing the position of the horizon.
The images with the horizon more central are more successful with this scene.

There isn't any set rule on where to position the horizon.  It would depend on interest within the scene to how the composition of the photograph is depicted.

The first image with a high horizon shows the foreground and the valley, but with little sky it feels as if only part of the story is being told.

ex7-1

The second image feels more settled and complete with more of the sky showing.

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Images 3, 4 and 5 with the horizon more central feel balanced.

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ex7-4

ex7-5

Images 6 and 7 have too much sky showing.  The sky has little interest with only a small amount of detail and a lot of foreground interest has been lost.

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ex7-7

Below are a couple of images with more interest within the sky and how this can change where to place the horizon.

ex7-8

ex7-9

ex7-10

In this set of images, because the sky has more texture the horizon can be set lower.

Ex 8:  Vertical and Horizontal Frames

This exercise is to photograph a location twice, first only composing the frame in a vertical (portrait).  

After processing the images, return to the location and repeat only using horizontal framing (landscape).


The location is Abberton Church.  This is a secluded location with only a couple of dwellings nearby.  It is a popular location for Bird Watchers as it is located near to a large reservoir.

ex8-01a

ex8-01b

ex8-02a

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ex8-03a

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ex8-04a

ex8-04b

ex8-05a

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ex8-06a

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Didn't quite look the same on the second day.

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ex8-08a

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ex8-09a

ex8-09b

ex8-10a

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ex8-11a

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ex8-12a

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ex8-13a

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ex8-14a

ex8-14b

Not sure why scull and cross bones, something I need to look into.

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ex8-16a

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ex8-17a

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ex8-18a

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ex8-18 This may work better as a square crop.

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On the whole I think most images have worked.  With a change of angle and allowing more objects into the frame I was able to utilise the horizontal frame.  As it said in the notes "The result may not be quite as successful as a horizontal image, but it should make you aware that format is to a large extent a matter of habit."

Ex 9:  Cropping

This exercise is to use three images and crop them, noting the results.

The first image was taken as a vertical frame.  With distractions in the background and the chairs in the foreground only acting as a distraction I cropped them out.  The resulting image is a tight crop on the three musicians faces.

ex9-1a

ex9-1b

ex9-1c

The next image is of reconstruction of a Roman Theatre.  The image had originally been cropped to remove items of a modern nature.  By cropping closer still it had turned into an image of pattern.

ex9-2a

ex9-2b

ex9-2c

The next images have been cropped as a panoramic image.  With all the detail being kept in just a narrow band across the image it was a suitable crop.  It has taken away all the dead space from the foreground.

ex9-3a

ex9-3b

ex9-3c

Reflection

Ex1:  Fitting the Frame to The Subject

Once I had a subject the instructions from the text were easy to follow.

I think the point of the exercise was to make you look at the subject more from different viewpoints, angle and to look for details.  It also made me consider how the subject suited the frame.

ex1-2

I think the image of the sequence that I least like is ex1-2 as the subject is tight to the frame (as instructed).  It is more of a documentary image, and because of the lacking of detail and information in the fore and background has little story.  It would have to be used in a sequence. 

Ex 2:  Object in Different Positions in the Frame

This exercise made me think about the object in relation to the frame, how it appears in different part of the frame can give a totally different feel.

I was unable to find a location with the background being completely neutral, maybe I was looking too hard.  I could have used a tabletop setup, but that seemed an easy option.

ex2-1

ex2-2

In my notes I said that ex2-1 worked best, in reflection I would now consider ex2-2 to be the better image. This is because ex2-1 shows the relationship of the boat and the shore behind, but is positioned low in the frame.  The boat in ex2-2 has room to move, it isn't trapped and is a contrast to the uncluttered background.

Ex 3:  A Sequence of Composition


I had to repeat this exercise as I wasn't happy with the first set of results.I found this exercise quite unnatural and different to the way I would take photographs of a scene.  I would normally envisage how the event may unravel and at what point I would want to take photographs.  My thinking behind this is, if I use memory or exception of the norm, then that has been photographed before or I can prepare to take a better shot of what has been done before.  If something happens outside what I perceived then it is interest grabs my attention and raise my camera.  I like to think each scenario has the potential to be different and can't be taken for granted.  Instinct must play a part in cases of the abnormal.

ex3-26

Ex 4:  Focal Lengths


I stated on my notes "this exercise shows that the relationship between different objects is the same."
This I now know is not a true statement.  What is true is that unless inferior, lenses do not create perspective distortion but the position of the camera does.
This is explained in "Light - Science and Magic fourth edition by Fil Hunte, Steven Biver and Paul Fuqua page 91.

ex4-8.  300mm

The images for this exercise were taken at the same location using different focal lengths.  Perspective distortion is not effected.

Ex 5:  Focal Lengths and Different Viewpoints

This exercise was the complete opposite of the previous one.  The camera was moved closer to the subject as the focal length decreased and field of view increased.

ex5-6.  18mm

The perspective distortion is pronounced in this set of images.  I referred to it as "reduction perspective depth" in my initial notes, I now know it to be perspective distortion.

Ex 6:  Balance


This is not something that I have conscientiously thought about, but looking back through my images it must be something that I consider during composition.
The times I may not have considered this is when there have only been one point of interest.  Then it's normally placed off center, it this still balanced?  I think most of the time yes.

ex6-6

ex6-6b

Ex 7:  Positioning the Horizon


"There is, needless to say, no ideal position even for one particular scene and angle of view." The Photographer's Eye - Michael Freeman.
...I think that covers it...

ex7-6

Ex 8:  Vertical and Horizontal Frames


Having taken the photographs in the vertical I returned and completed the exercise in horizontal.
In one of the pairings it is obvious that they were taken at different times as in the second shot the builders had moved in.
Only in a couple of the pairings did I have to change the point of view as I was trying to make sense of each image.  They wouldn't have worked from the same viewpoints.
In the notes of the exercise it says: "format to a large extent a matter of habit."

ex8-05b

Ex 9:  Cropping


I quite often crop my photographs to try and find a better image within, sometimes making them abstract.
It is good to be reminded to look for images within images.

ex9-3c