David Noton - Chasing the Light DVD Extracts

Here is an extract from his DVD 'Chasing the Light' showing the key aspects he thinks are most important when he is working.
1. Location finding and visualisation
2. Choosing time of day to get the best light
3. Shape, composition and perspective
4. Colour, contrast and tone
5. Post Production

Choosing Final Images - Theme 2

These are the images that have been chosen for the building theme. These were chosen from several different shoots.

The images that didn't make it to the final ten were discarded for various reasons. One example being that there would have been a fair amount of retouching work to do to remove distractions such as a shop sign. This was the case with the street image below.

The other main reason was that there were too many similar images. For example, I took quite a few on a visit to a local church, which became a little repetitive in content. So although there wasn't anything wrong with them exactly, the most interesting were chosen above the rest. An example of the kind of image that was left out is below.

The final ten cover a variety of ways of photographing buildings.

Image 1 was chosen for the way the light shone through the columns and the line created by the buildings.
Image 2 again this was about the light shining from the beautifully shaped windows.
Image 3 was chosen as i liked the perspective created by the position of the camera and the carved ladder.
Image 4 was a bit different with the bollard in the immediate foreground and the archway blurred behind.
Image 5 used the simple composition and lack of colours of a leaded window.
Image 6 used bright colours, textured glass and curved lead to create a close up detail shot.
Image 7 was chosen for the unusual viewpoint, position of the passing cloud and the frame created.
Image 8 is about the texture of the bricks and the strong shape created by the corner of the wall.
Image 9 was chosen for the interesting angles the roofs make with the spire in the centre.
Image 10 was chosen for the way the archway framed the city.

Choosing Final Images - Theme 1

These are the images that have been chosen for the tree theme. These were chosen from several different shoots.

The images that didn't make it to the final ten were discarded for various reasons. One example being that there would have been a fair amount of retouching work to do to remove distractions such as mud. This was the case with the leaf image below.

The other main reason was some of the images were generally less striking, perhaps with less interesting lighting conditions or content too similar to what had already been chosen. An example of this can be seen below. 

The final ten cover a variety of ways of photographing trees.

Image 1 was chosen for the interesting sky detail and shape of the tree.
Image 2 was chosen to make use of macro to show the detail in a leaf.
Image 3 shows focus on colour and leaf shape.
Image 4 uses a tree to frame a scene.
Image 5 is an example of a silhouette.
Image 6 was all about the graphic shape of the branches and the contrast against the sky.
Image 7 was from an unusual viewpoint, focusing on bark texture and the sunlight above.
Image 8 shows a different way of lighting.
Image 9 was kept as a simple composition to focus on the colours.
Image 10 was about showing the branch shape, the sun on the foliage and the colours.

Comparison with Research - Theme 2

The image at the top is by Nadia Mackenzie. I liked the use of structure to create a frame for the viewer. I chose a viewpoint which enabled me to make an unusual frame.

 

The image above is by Mark Fiennes. I loved the use of light to draw attention to the building's structure. I attempted to do the same in this image with the lit columns.

 

The image above is by Nick Meers. This is another example of the use of framing in architectural photography. My image attempted the same using the archway.

 

The image above is by Ashley Franklin. I liked his use of perspective which made the building tower over the viewer. I decided to attempt a similar image with the same type of architecture.

 

The image above is by Antony Weller. I liked the way this image showed the textures of the building material. Although in his image it has been carved in this way, i chose an example of weathered texture instead.  

Comparison with Research - Theme 1

Here are some examples of how i used the research to influence my own work.

The image on the left is by Tony Howell. This photograph inspired me to look for eye catching colours in the local landscape. Although the compostition is totally different, it was the colour that i found striking in his work.

The image on the left is by Jeremy Walker. After seeing this i wanted to try and capture a backlit tree which showed the shape of the foliage. Although the conditions and time of day were not alike, i still think the concept of the light worked.

The image on the left is by John Potter. I liked how the shape of the tree dominated the picture. I attempted to recreate this by choosing a nicely shaped tree with contrasting sky behind it.

The image on the left is by Andrew Lawson. It is all about the shape that the knarled tree branches make. Although mine is a brightly coloured version i still liked the shape the trunk and branches created.

The image on the left is by David Noton. I loved the way the light shone through the trees and reflected off the water. Although taken at a different time of day, this is my attempt at sunlight peering through foliage.

Image Processing

As the initial step all images needed to be resized and cropped using Photoshop. Once this was done images that needed further processing could be chosen. Generally I prefer to keep the Photoshop work to a minimum wherever possible. With this in mind I chose images that were promising but needed some minor adjustments such as removing a distracting element from them. Examples of these elements are power lines and centrally placed clods of mud.

In order to resize and crop i followed these steps:
Open the image, choose the crop tool, enter the dimensions (in this case for A3), drag the crop box over the image and confirm the crop. Below is an example of cropping.

In order to remove the distracting parts of photos i followed these steps:
Open the image, choose the clone stamp tool, click a part of the image that you would like to clone and then paint over the distracting area with this. Another option which can be used is the healing brush tool. This is where the software tries to match the patterns and textures from the surrounding area in order to blend it in. Below is an example of cloning.

Cropping needed to be used sparingly if possible as losing pixels isn't useful especially if using a compact sensor (like mine). The main thing is to get the composition right (or as close to right as possible) in camera. Generally i used the crop tool to emphasize the focal point more strongly and to remove any oddly positioned distractions at the sides of the image.

Below are examples of images that required a more substantial crop than the others.

The top image needed the people cropping out, the second image the sale signs, the third image as much of the people as possible, the fourth image the drainpipe and the final image the railings.

Here are the screenshots to show how they looked after the crops.

There are obviously many things that could be done using Photoshop but given the content of my images (nature) it seemed inappropriate to do much as it can make photos look unrealistic (in my opinion). Also given the amount of time it can take to make major adjustments (as a novice) it is questionable as to what is a worthwhile change.

Inspiration from Research - Theme 2

Antony Weller
Images 21 and 22 show the use of lead in lines.
Images 14 and 23 were taken from unusual viewpoints.
Mark Fiennes
Images 1 and 15 show interesting shapes.
Nadia Mackenzie
Images 3, 7 and 9 use simple graphic shapes and compositions.
Nick Meers
Images 3, 17, 20, 21, 22 and 23 use light to create atmosphere.
Ashley Franklin
Images 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 19, 20 and 22 create interesting perspective.
Images 2, 7, 10 and 13 use framing.
Images 5, 10 and 21 include sky interest.