Adjustments to Assignment 3 based on tutor feedback

In assignment 3 after suggestion from my tutor, the top picture was replaced with the bottom.

Original photograph
I didn't particularly like this photograph myself, i only really used it to show the ratio between complementary colours. It is a poor photograph, looking back i'm not really sure why i tried to include it in the first place. It is quite embarrassing.

Photograph used in assessment it was replaced with.

Feedback: Assignment 3

Tutor Reports Assignment 3

Overall Comments

There has been a real improvement shown in your appreciation of lighting since the first two assignments. So many images are working with the light -produce modelling, texture and colour saturation that wouldn’t have appeared were it not for some frontal and/or side lighting.

You have also started to take my advice about filling the frame: I’m left in no doubt what the subject is in all of these images, without reading the captions. The purpose of the shot, whether that is its lighting, composition, line, forms, textures or whatever else, is what the photograph needs to home in on. A background can set the scene and aid composition (as with ‘accent’ images for this assignment), but should never compete with the subject of the image, even if the subject is more conceptual and less solid, such as with shadows or reflections.

Your conceptual appreciation has slowly improved throughout these assignments. In this assignment students often struggle to think of colour relationships at the same time as all of the other ways that images are constructed. The result can be two objects together of the ‘correct’ colour relationship, but with no other creative input. In this set of images there are many pictures that would make good images regardless of the colour combination (even in black and white). I’ll comment on some individual images in more detail in the feedback section below.

Feedback on assignment 

I feel that the more natural settings and subjects (e.g. the red life-belt) work better than the set-up shots, such as the orange on the cloth. You have varied subject magnification to good effect. I think that the orange could have been taken even closer – perhaps creating a single curved edge/composition – for this image to work. That closeness would probably have rendered the background out of focus and less obvious and intrusive.

The areas that I think worked particularly well were:

The red life-belt as it was shot against a blanket of green without any real structure to draw the eye from the main subject. It is also placed off-centre, which balances against the slope of the bank and the angle of the trees.

The accent in the first image as it is such an intense red, highlighted by direct light, contrasted against dark blues and greens. Cropping a sliver off each side would remove the red and yellow in the top corners. I like the fact that you were brave enough to place the accent at the bottom of the frame.

I appreciate the subtlety of the blackberry image, as the colours are only just visible. Colour relationships work however saturated the colours are – they don’t necessarily have to be super-saturated. I’m not convinced that the berry is blue in this image, in fact I see some red in the top and background, but maybe that’s just a difference in our screens’ colour settings.

The tree stump is very simple, yet has a clear colour relationship as well as a clear composition; a circular form centred on the thirds.

The blue and red fence and gate is a striking shot, with great perspective making strong diagonal lines of the top and bottom rails. The glimpses of greenery through the gaps accentuate the bold, man-made colours.

Two of the colour harmony shots are very good images – the first image has very simple splashes of green/yellow against a cool blue. The structure appears quite delicate too. I also felt that the rose stood out as it has such soft lighting, as well as the centre being framed by slightly darker (shadowed?) areas.

I thought that the less successful images were:

The purple and green image (9^th) as the structure is complex and the bright sky draws the eye from the subject. The second shot as the daffodils are lost amongst the rest of the scene and compete with the (central) bench.

The bridge has small red areas but the dominating colours are the (brighter) sky and the bank beyond.

The pansy competes with the stone/concrete below it – a lower camera position may have excluded this.

The red and green bush doesn’t have a strong shape or structure to give a composition that can be used to keep the eye on the subject. 

A few shots would benefit from extra exposure, preferably in-camera by using exposure compensation, or in post-production using photo-editing software: The climbing frame, the purple/green shot that precedes the frame and the last image all have bright skies that have fooled the camera into under-exposing. They would all be improved by an extra half a stop to a stop of light.

Learning Logs or Blogs

It is good to see how your log has now developed in to a resource that charts your explorations of other photographers’ work, reflection on your own images and feedback, as well as evidence of wider reading. 

Hopefully your study and appreciation of the work of Michael Kenna has shown you that the image can be really strong, even with very little ‘content’, as long as the lighting and composition direct the eye to the areas of interest. 

Simplicity of line, form and shape – without distractions – is a great discipline to start with. After that you can add elements until you feel there are enough, but not too many. It is a bit like a painter starting with a blank canvas and an idea, rather than trying to paint over another picture – far easier!

Suggested reading/viewing

I recommend reading 'Approaching Photography' by Paul Hill, which explores the ‘why’ of photography, rather than the ‘how’.

I suggest that you also look online at the work of Uta Barth: She uses photography to photograph light, shade, pattern and shapes, without any real regard for subject matter. In fact the subject is light in all its forms and nuances.

For an approach that has a different take on the use of colour (and quite an early one for colour work) – almost as the subject of the photograph - see the subtle and minimalist photography of Keld Helmer-Peterson.

Pointers for the next assignment

Looking ahead, the next assignment is one where choosing a subject needs some care. It could be just one single object or a small group. It can be a simple shape, but would benefit from having many facets, textures, colours etc. 

A distinctive shape will help make for an interesting outline (shape), a good surface texture (and raking light) will give opportunities for texture shots (usually close-ups). It should also have some colour that can be shown off by direct light (colour shots). 

An object you can turn round will enable shots to be taken using sunlight at convenient times of day, as you may rotate it for best effect. Or, you may prefer an object in its natural environment where the sun's position will determine the times of shooting. 

Don’t rely solely on sunlight: Experiment with other light sources (e.g. cloudy daylight, tungsten lamps, a candle, a torch, Christmas lights, LEDs and more). Use reflectors to fill-in shadowed areas to balance contrast. See some of the examples on the OCA student’s web site for inspirations.

Reflection Upon Assignment 3

Demonstration of technical and visual skills- Materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills
Working on an assignment based on colour, I have had to be very visually aware of the colour of the subjects i am photographing, and the relationships they have. Based on the way colours work together, and the suggested ideal ratios of colour, I'd like to think i have put a lot of thought in my composition and in some cases preplanned to achieved my ideal outcome.

Quality of outcome - Content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas
I'd like to think i have communicated my ideas well through my photographs, I have worked in quite a linear, logical way taking on new ideas, and knowledge and applying them to my work where possible.
I'd like to say i am pleased with the outcome of my work.

Demonstration of creativity - Imagination, experimentation,invention, development of a personal voice

I'd like to think i have used a wide range of subjects within this assignment. I'd definitely say I'm finding my own personal voice, which seems to be based mainly around landscape photography, or at least nature as my main subject.
Creativity has no end, it is something that can and should always be worked on and so i will continue to do so.

Content- reflection, research, critical thinking
My lighting skills were perhaps seen as my weakness in previous assignment, but i'd like to think within this assignment there has been a great improvement, and i'd hope others would agree. Although it is still something i will continue to work on.
I have carried out a bit more research this time around, however it is definitely something i can do more of.

Overall, i am pleased with the work i have submitted for this assignment, i think the quality of my photographs is perhaps some of the best i have produced, based on the improvement in my lighting skills, or so i think. I hope this is something i can continue to improve on. I have quite enjoyed looking at colour through photography, and the relationships they have, and hope to carry the knowledge i have learned here forward with me.

Assignment 3

Throughout the exercises leading up this assignment, i have explored the various different relationships between colour and to use them efficiently and to my advantage within photography. Knowing what colours complement each other, or clash and what amount of each colour is best.
Here, in this assignment, i have hopefully executed the use of this knowledge well when illustrating the following colour relationships;

Colour accent 

- a small area of colour sitting against a much larger background of another colour.

Here, I took a picture of a coloured wooden fence in a playground, i filled the frame with the fence, with just the hole in the fence taking up a small portion of the bottom of the frame, allowing you to see coloured bars through it, as an accent in red and green, both similar colours to blue.

In this photograph, the yellow daffodils across the middle of the frame accent the green that surrounds them.
Again, both similar colours.

Red fixtures accent a green bridge through the use of complementary colours

The green/yellow flecks on a blackberry work as an accent against the blue of the berry. Yellow being a contrasting colour

 Colour Harmony through complementary colours
- colours that face each other across the colour wheel

Here, i took a picture of a red object against a green grassy background. Red and green being complementary colours

Yellow and purple are complementary colours and so i took a picture of this flower featuring both those colours, which almost fits to the ratio (yellow)1:(violet)3 as suggest by J. W. Von Goethe

Orange and blue are complementary colours and so i took a photograph of a bright orange, against a blue background. I wanted this to be a very bright, bold photograph

I love the softness of this photograph, its quite abstract, the attention is drawn to colours and shapes as opposed to subject matter.
A strong red set against a green background.

 Colour contrast through contrasting colours
- Colours spaced about a third a way round the colour wheel that are very different but not quite complementary

Orange and green are colours spaced a third away around the colour wheel, and so are contrasting. I found this adorable tree stump featuring both colours in almost pastel tones and so tried to keep this photograph quite light feeling to go with the tones, or slight lack of saturation of the colours.

Purple and green, two contrasting colours, that i personally think go beautifully together, captured on a sunny day, on a tree.

A red and yellow climbing frame looking quite eerie on an overcast day. The angle from which the photograph is taken allows both the red and yellow sides of the frame to be seen together, also sitting one inside the other, giving a sense of narrowing into the middle of the frame, almost.

A blue fence with a red gate. Two primary colours spaced a third apart on the colur wheel. I love the brightness and how the colours clash.
I tried to take a photograph of the the fence at an angle to create a fluid line where the colours despite clashing, seem to join seamlessly.

 Colour harmony through similar colours
-Colours near each other on the colour wheel.

Blue and green, two cool, earthy colours found next to each other on the colour wheel.
Green leaves set against a beautiful clear blue sky. I love the shapes the leaves create, and how the sunlight hits some of them creating a beautiful, zesty green.

An orange and yellow flower. Two warm colours that are very similar. The green in the background is also similar to the yellow. This is more subtle though, due to the depth of field and the green being just a blur, out of focus.

A subtle yellow of a rose with a green leaf resting upon it.

Yellow flowers and their green stems both similar colours.
The bright yellow is also sandwiched between the blue sky and the green, which are both similar colours to each other.

Exercise: Colours into Tones in Black and White

For this exercise, I took a photograph using the colours red, green, blue and yellow. Using Lightroom I then changed the photograph into black and white and began to add different coloured black and white filters to the photograph.
Here are the results:

Original

Black and white - No filter

Blue filter

Green filter

Yellow filter

Red filter
The blue filter is the only one that stands out dramatically, the colours are a lot bolder and darker than in all the other filters. The contrasts in colours is a lot greater here. It is the only filter in which the yellow pepper does not appear white.
Looking at these different filters, I would say if it was changing a predominantly yellow photograph into black and white, i would be most likely to use a blue filter as it is the only one in which the yellow has any sort of depth or contrast.
Greens i would say are more suited to a red filter and red to a green filter.
It appears the filter which works best for each colour is the complementary/opposite colour on the colour wheel to the colour used within the photograph

I then added an orange filter to see if this was true for the blue background too and it would appear that blue looks best under a filter of its complementary colour, orange.

Exercise: Colour Relationships - Part 2

For the second part of this exercise, i was asked to produce 3 or 4 photographs of colour combinations that appeal to me.
I quite liked the freedom of this part of the task not really having any rules, being able to photograph whatever colours / subjects i want.

A Green glass head against a pinky /violet background. I struggled to get a true, bright green colour out of the head with it being see through, however i am happy with the shade of green i managed to capture and how it appears more of a lime colour where the light hits it. However against the pinky less saturated shade of violet is is set against, i feel it works.
Pink and green. my favourite colour combination.

I quite like a combination of similar colours. Here yellow,green, and blue, three colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel. I like that the yellow is a lot more bolder and attention grabbing than the other two colours present.

Here i took a picture of a large yellow sign and a smaller, blue ticket machine behind it. Two colours that are spaced out on the colour wheel. Two bold colours that as a combination would perhaps be seen as clashing.

Red and yellow, again two colours spaced out on the colour wheel. A combination often associated with fire or heat/warmth.

Exercise: Colour Relationships - Part 1

It was suggested by J. W. Von Goethe than when taking pictures of complementary colours, there should be a certain ratio of each colour within the frame, to create the best possible photograph. These ratios are;
Red: Green - 1:1
Orange:Blue - 1:2

Yellow: Violet - 1:3
It is stated that hues. colours, vary from dark to light, violet being a dark hue and yellow being a light one and to achieve the best possible harmony between two complementary colours, you need to focus on their brightness.
Red and green are as bright as each other, hence the ratio 1:1, but orange is twice as bright as blue and yellow three times as bright as violet, hence their ratios also. So the proportion of each colour needs to be taken into account to create a photograph with beautiful harmony.

For this exercise, i tried this with photographs of my own

2 blue crystals behind one orange crystal creates the ratio 1:2

Here i took a photograph of a boat that was both red and green against a platform that was again, red and green. This photograph is predominantly green however, so i cropped it to try and get as close to the ratio 1:1 , as suggested, as possible

I found it a bit harder to find violet and yellow together in my natural surroundings, and so took a photograph of somebody wearing yellow and violet clothing against a violet background, and tried to get as close to the ration 1:3 as i could.

Research: Michael Kenna

It was suggested to be by my tutor that i look up the work of Michael Kenna, as it might be something that interests me. I have to say, i am glad my tutor made this recommendation, as i have fallen in love.

I am a big fan of black and white photography already, but i absolutely love the simplicity in his photographs and how beautiful something so simple / bare can look.

I love how eerie the misty reflections make this photograph look.

This is probably my favourite photograph of Kenna's i have found, i love the contrasts in this picture, the really black trees against the strip of white light/sky in the center of the frame. I also love the movement the trees create.

I love how simple this photograph is, 6 vertical lines created by a reflection in water taking up only a small part of the frame. This is something i could see myself taking, but then scrapping, worrying it was too simplistic or boring. Looking at this now, i can see this not the case and is something i would definitely like to draw influence from and try in the future

I love the way Kenna captures line and shapes in such a simplistic way, it is definitely something i will draw influence from in my photography in the future, i just wish i had become aware of him before my assignment on lines and shapes so i could have perhaps interpreted some of these photographs into my own work there.

Exercise: Primary and Secondary Colours

I took three exposures of each of the primary and secondary colours. One exposure as suggested by the light meter in my camera and then one exposure a stop higher, and one a stop lower than the original suggested.

1/25sec -  f/10, f/11. f/13
Here i would say the middle exposure, f/11 , as suggested by the camera, is the closest match to the yellow on the colour wheel

1/25sec - f/7.1, f/8. f/9
The last exposure here, f/9 appears to be the truest match to the purple present on my colour wheel. A stop above the suggested.

1/10 sec - f/6.3, f/7.1, f/8
The red on this fence was never a true bright red, however, the last exposure, f/8 appears to make the red seem brightest and boldest that more similar to the red on the colour wheel.

1/20 sec - f/10, f/11, f/13
The last exposure, f/13 i would say is the best match for the colour orange.

1/6 sec - f/5.6, f/6.3. f/7.1
The green in all these photographs appears extremely similar, however i would have to say i favour the last exposure.

1/15 sec - f/16, f/18, f/20
My favourite exposure from this set would be the last one, at f/20, as it is quite a bold blue and is quite matte looking. The other two exposures, especially f/16 reflect quite a bit of light, making the blue of the bridge have a bit of a white tint to it, not looking quite as blue as the last exposure.

Exercise: Control the Strength of a Colour

The task here was to take a picture of single block of colour at 5 different exposures. The one recommended by the light meter in my camera, then two exposures either side of that. I took a picture of a green fence, at 1/20 sec  at f/6.3 f/7.1, f/8, f/9, f/10. The more under exposed pictures show a bolder shade of green which works better than the green in the first picture at f/6.3. My personal favourite is the last exposure, f/10, as not only is green quite bold, but i like the darkness in the image, there is a lot more shadow, and the blacks are stronger, you can see each flake of paint and cracks in the wood and material across the bottom, giving it quite a dark, eerie, creepy sort of vibe which i quite like.

Research: Charlotte Audrey Owen-Meehan

Charlotte Audrey Owen - Meehan is an artist who photographs objects using very bold striking colours. Her work is very bright and she uses a combination of clashing colours and complimentary colours. Using different objects and coloured backgrounds to create her work. I love how obscure some of her pictures look, and how effective such simple, basic item can be. I hope to draw inspiration from her work for my project on colour.

Feedback: Assignment 2

Tutor Reports Assignment 2

Overall Comments

Once again you have demonstrated a willingness to engage with a wide variety of subjects and viewpoints, even within the restrictions of the subject area of plants.

We still have to give extra attention to lighting, but this second assignment is already showing improvements in that direction. In the last feedback I suggested looking for lighting, form, composition etc., before thinking of subjects, as these qualities will reveal photographs, regardless of the subject matter you choose.  

There are some good interpretations of the design elements, but others I feel are mislabelled. That is to say that they represent a quality of design well, but not necessarily the one chosen in the title. Renaming some images can easily rectify this. I’ll comment on individual pictures in the feedback below.

Some image choices suffer from being in the frame rather than filling the frame, although this has improved since last time. As Robert Capa is often quoted as saying “if your pictures aren’t good enough; you’re not close enough!” 

There is also a general misconception (by most students) that the subject needs to reflect the design theme in this assignment: it is the arrangement in the frame that shows the design, regardless of the shapes in the subject. Design, which in photography is often synonymous with composition, is the arrangement of the elements in the frame that draw the viewer’s eye around that frame.

It is easy to get drawn in to looking at the subjects in this assignment, instead of their composition: For example, a small, curved subject against the sky is a single point composition, not a curved one. Similarly, a curved row of square kites would be a curved composition, because their arrangement is in a curve, not a square.

Assessment potential 

I understand your aim is to go for the Photography Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential to succeed at assessment.  In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.    

Feedback on assignment 

In my feedback last time I stated that ‘If you are unsure of the meaning of any of the categories in this context, e.g. rhythm (linear repetition), pattern (repetition in two dimensions), or implied triangles (three prominent points in the frame) ask me to explain them further.’ I think there was still some confusion about these categories. 

In your exercise images there is a family portrait of three people forming an implied triangle. You then comment that in the natural world you found it hard to find triangles, as if looking for actual triangles...implied ones are easier to find (e.g. three flowers in a triangular arrangement).

The first image is fine, but could have been placed off-centre slightly, to improve balance. The second is a good subject; it just needed better lighting on the two points and a closer position to make the points dominate the frame. The ‘deliberate shape’ cleverly mimics the arrangement of a flower’s petals, using petals. Again, better lighting would have lifted this shot, adding shadows and textures.

The ‘curves’ are in the subject, but not in the design (see comments above ref subject versus composition). The circle shot is nice, but the lighting is quite harsh. If lighting is positioned off-centre, it gives better modelling and form (see the fourth chapter in TAOP on lighting). I assume that the tree-triangle shot is a ‘distinct’ shape. The tree’s isolation from the background by use of a shallow depth of field helps to make it stand out.

As with the curves image the leaf has diagonals, but doesn’t show diagonal composition. The first ‘triangles’ image (tree branches) shows diagonals better, although it’s not especially creative. 

A pattern is a repetition in both dimensions, e.g. both across and up and down. The ‘pattern’ shot is a ‘distinct, even if irregular, shape’. Your image of the metal gate (in the exercises) is a good example of a pattern. A rhythm is a linear repetition – objects appearing in a row or a line. I can’t see that arrangement in your rhythm shot...whereas there is a clear rhythm in the row of logs (titled ‘horizontal lines’). 

The horizontal and vertical lines category should be just one image, rather than two separate ones. Maybe your ‘horizontal lines’ image could fit the bill?

Learning Logs or Blogs

I’d like to see some reflections in the log of other photography that you have seen: whether in books, online or at exhibitions. Just a few sentences on each is sufficient; state what you liked and/or didn’t and why. Comment on what you think you might take from what you’ve seen, to try in your own images. List anything that you feel you’ve learned from this and anything that has stimulated your thoughts.

Suggested reading/viewing

I recommend Photography Second edition (Portfolio) by John Ingledew. I’d also suggest that you take a look at the work of Michael Kenna which I think might appeal to you. He shoots landscapes and seascapes in a minimalist style with simplicity of light, tone and form.

Pointers for the next assignment

The next assignment is about colour relationships: The subject choice is open, but images should be visually interesting, taking account of composition and lighting, as well as the colour relationships. This is a chance to be creative, taking time to find images that you really like, rather than ‘shooting to order’ on a particular title.

Looking back at this assignment, and reading what my tutor has said, I realise i have been to literal thinking upon doing this assignment. Thinking too much about the actual subject than the composition. Perhaps over thinking each shot.
There were perhaps better photographs i could have used but didn't because of this literal frame of mind i somehow got myself stuck in. Going back and changing some of the photographs i have used is something I would definitely consider doing in the future.
Although it appears i am not the only student who seems to have done this which makes me feel a great deal better about my choices.
My lighting I would agree could be better. But again is an improvement from the last assignment. It is slowly getting there.