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.

Image Log - Theme 2

All of these images were taken using my compact camera (no other equipment) with no post processing. As with Theme one, the content is a mixture of close ups and wider shots. I took the photos over various days under different lighting/weather conditions. The church images were taken on a sunny day with wonderful blue skies as the backdrop. The weather in Bath was quite dull and boring so i was pleased to get the chance to take some photos after dark as a contrast.

Locations
Images 1 - 10 were taken in my local village.
Images 11 and 12 were taken in my house.
Images 13 - 23 were taken in Bath city centre.
Techniques
Images 4 and 15 show shallow depth of field due to the use of macro on my camera.
Images 17, 20, 21 and 22 show how light can be used to transform a subject in various ways.
Images 2, 8 and 14 show considered composition, such as the rule of thirds.
Images 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 18 and 19 were taken from an unusual position to create a more interesting perspective.
Image 11 was taken to make the most of the colours. 
Images 1, 6, 12 and 23 are to illustrate various textures and patterns.
Images 16, 20 and 21 show some movement through the frame due to the people walking past.
Equipment Operation
As with the Nature theme, all the images were taken on Manual. The main difference here was that some of the later images were taken as night was falling. This resulted in some very slow shutter speeds. I had the aperture on the widest setting to let as much light in as possible. I also made sure i leaned against walls etc where available due to not having a tripod. I could have pushed the ISO higher on occasion but i wanted to avoid degrading the image quality if i could. The result of this is that some of the lowlight photos have come out less than crisp.
Ethical, Safety and Legal Considerations
As far as i am aware you do not need any special permissions to enter church owned land. Whilst taking the church images i was careful to be respectful i.e not being there during a service. During my time in the city of Bath i made sure i didn't take photos that were intrusive to the people in them. Most people didn't notice i was there and if anyone had approached me i would have explained what i was doing and offered to delete any they were caught in. Luckily this didn't happen!

Building Images

Here is a selection of images that i took for theme 2...
1. Aperture = F/5 Shutter Speed = 1/100 sec. Sensitivity = ISO 320 35mm Equivalent Focal Length = 96mm

 2. F/5 1/200 sec. ISO 100 44mm

 3. F/5 1/200 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 4. F/5 1/80 sec. ISO 250 25mm

 5. F/5 1/250 sec. ISO 80 25mm

 6. F/5 1/200 sec. ISO 80 29mm

 7. F/5 1/200 sec. ISO 80 55mm

 8. F/5 1/250 sec. ISO 80 96mm

 9. F/5 1/320 sec. ISO 160 25mm

 10. F/5 1/320 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 11. F/3.3 1/13 sec. ISO 160 25mm

 12. F/3.3 1/60 sec. ISO 80 25mm

 13. F/4 1/13 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 14. F/3.3 1/5 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 15. F/3.3 1/5 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 16. F/3.3 1/8 sec. ISO 80 25mm

 17. F/3.3 1/13 sec. ISO 320 25mm

 18. F/3.3 1/4 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 19. F/3.3 1/2 sec. ISO 100 25mm

 20. F/3.8 1/4 sec. ISO 320 52mm

 21. F/3.3 1/4 sec. ISO 250 25mm

 22. F/3.3 1/4 sec. ISO 250 25mm

 23. F/3.3 1/4 sec. ISO 200 25mm

Inspiration from Research - Theme 1

Tony Howell
Image 6 is my attempt at backlit foliage.
Images 7, 8 and 12 tried to include lead in lines and rule of thirds.
Images 9, 19, 21 were from his use of silhouettes and images where the sunlight comes through the trees.
Images 11 and 20 were inspired by his use of interesting perspective.
John Potter
Images 1, 13 and 23 were inspired by his unconventional compositions.
Images 15 and 17 make use of reflections.
Andrew Lawson
Images 3, 14 and 22 show simple more graphic shapes.
David Noton
Images 2, 4, 5, 10 and 23 for the use of vibrant colours.
Jeremy Walker
Images 16 and 18 show interesting use of light.

Image Log - Theme 1

All of these images were taken during daylight, using my compact camera (no other equipment) with no post processing. The content is a mixture of close ups such as leaves and wider landscape shots. I took the photos over various days under different lighting/weather conditions. The first attempt resulted in disappointing images. This was mainly due to very cloudy, dull grey weather, so all the photos came out 'flat looking' with incorrect white balance. After that i decided to only go out with blue skies and sunshine. This of course has its own problems (such as high contrast making a balanced exposure difficult), but generally i was much happier with the results as they were bright and colourful.
Locations
Images 1, 2 and 3 were taken in my back garden.
Images 4 - 23 were taken in the countryside near my house.
Techniques
Images 2, 3, 13, 15, 16 and 20 show shallow depth of field due to the use of macro on my camera.
Images 6, 9, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 21 show how light can be used to transform a subject in various ways.
Images 1, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17 and 21 show considered composition, such as the rule of thirds.
Images 11, 16 and 20 were taken from an unusual position to create lead in lines to show a more interesting perspective.
Images 2, 4, 10, 22 and 23 were taken to make the most of the natural autumnal colours.
Images 3, 11, 15, 16 and 20 are to illustrate various textures, including bark and moss.
Equipment Operation
All the images were taken on Manual on various lens settings. For example, macro for close ups or wide angle for the context shots. Other than that the zoom was used where needed to crop out unwanted objects. As i was working without a tripod it was important to make the most of the sunlight (rather than do any evening shots) as the shutter speed would fall too low to be used handheld.
Safety and Legal Considerations
During the taking of these images it was necessary to be aware of walkers i.e not obstructing public footpaths for too long and paying attention to where i was treading. All of the land was public (or my garden) so i didn't need to obtain any permissions to take the images.