Theme 1 - My images at Hilton Gravelpit

On a crisp October sunday morning @ 6:30am, myself and 4 other students met at the Hilton Gravelpit nature reserve to take some of our own images for our assignments.

This was somewhere I had never even heard of, let alone visited before, but another student (Ian) said how beautiful it was early in the morning and arranged for some of us to get together so he could show us around the nature reserve to take some shots.

Visiting here made me realise how much the weather and time of year affect what time you visit a location to allow you to get the best light for the camera and to get the effect that is required for your images.

The trip to the nature reserve really opened my eyes to what is available and really does show that if you are willing to put in the effort and research you can find some amazing and naturally stunning places to be the subject of your photographs.

Because we had organised this trip in advance I arranged to borrow one of the camera's and tripod's from college so that I could experiment properly with the manual features and gain more experience. I used a Canon EOS Digital DC 8.1V with zoom lens set on manual and a standard tripod.

Below are some of my favourite images taken at the nature reserve with a description advising on the settings of each photograph. I have also included images that didnt work so well to show the difference and how the settings effected the outcome.

The lake

Shutter speed = 1/5, Aperture = f/13.0, ISO = 100

Shutter speed = 1/5, Aperture = f/10.0, ISO = 100

Shutter speed = 1/5, Aperture = f/20.0, ISO = 100

Shutter Speed = 1/5, Aperture = f/10.0, ISO = 100

I found that this one was too light and didnt give the overall effect I wanted and I feel that the darker images are more moody and create more of an atmosphere than this lighter photo.

Shutter speed = 1/5, Aperture = f/18.0, ISO = 100

I love the warm colours in the above image and feel it gives a sense of calm and peace. I like the way I have captured the mist on top of the lake and the sun rising behind the trees. I also like the depth of field and how the trees/branches at the front of the image act as a frame to the whole photograph. This helps draw your eyes into the photo.

In the above image I wanted to capture the trees in the background but keep them as a silohouette.

I feel that the trees to the right of this image above draw your eyes to the center of the photo and then your focus is brought out to the left.

Shutter speed = 1/8, Aperture = f/22.0, ISO = 100

The above image is probably one of my overall images of the lake. This is because I think it has a nice balance in tone and scale. I like the composition, the frame of the trees and branches around the image which draws your eyes in deeper and also the lake runs through the centre of the image which also gives it balance.

Shutter speed = 1/8, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 100

These images were taken to the side and behind where I was standing taking the other photos of the lake. I like how fresh the images look and they are completely different to the other images in the fact that they are more defined and more detailed. In the above I like the reflection of the 'sweeping' tree in the water and I think the focal point is to the left of the image where the light is shining through and where the branches of the tree skim the water.

Shutter speed = 1/8, Aperture = f/5.0, ISO = 100

In the above my eyes are drawn to the centre of the image straight away through the foliage. This is because the branch sweeping away from the camera almost points you in that direction. This is the reason I wanted to take this photo as I thought the composition and positioning of the subjects were different to the others images I took on this morning.

For this shoot I took inspiration from the Heligan photographer - Melanie Eclare. I love the way she uses depth of field and I like her composition and positioning as the subjects are not always central which I think makes it different and not so 'set'. Below are a couple examples of this.

 The image to the left shows how she has used the palm tree as more of a silhouette rather than the main focal point.

The image to the right shows how the branches of the tree leans back into the image which is what I draw inspiration from for some of my own images.

Close up images

Melanie Eclare also took some close up shots of flowers in the Heligan book so this is where I gained inspiration to take some of my own close up photographs. As well as flowers I have always been interested in photographs that show different textures. With this in mind I took some images of bark, wild berries and funghi and I have selected a few below. I have detailed the settings used on the camera for the shots and I have discussed what I thought works and what doesn't work in the images.

Shutter speed = 1/15, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

These berries were quite hard to take photographs of as they were higher up than my tripod would go. Because of this I had to hold the camera myself which caused the image to blur slightly as you can see from these first few photographs. However, it was still good experience and I still got to practice with the settings of the camera which is something I had never done before.

The image above was too dark and because of this the berries get lost in the background.

 Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

The image above of the berries has a really simple composition and the main focal point is the berries itself. I like how the light has reflected off the berries to showcase the smooth surface and texture and I like the contrast of shapes, the roundess of the berries against the leaves and tree trunk. It would have been better taken on a tripod though as it would have been alot sharper.

I wanted to take a shot from further away from the berries in this image to get a more wider angle. I like the small depth of field in this image and the light shining on the leaves.

 Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

This image is one of my favourite close up photographs I took on this day because I like the textures, the composition, the tones, the angle of the bark and the depth of field. I like the fact that the bark is the main focal point of the image and how the background is visible, you know what it is but its blurred and I like the effect it gives the image.

 Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

In this image I wanted to focus solely on the bark and the detail on it. I wanted to pick up on the moss, knots and lines on the tree as I think it offers an interesting composition.

 Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

Again, I wanted to focus on textures and contrast in shapes in this image. I like the composition and how the bark is at an angle in the image but I would have preferred more sunlight to bounce off the surface of the bark and the moss as I think this would have added more to it and would have created some interesting shadows.

 Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/5.0, ISO = 200

This image is a similar angle and composition to the close up of the bark earlier on and the main focal point is the funghi at the left near the centre of the image. I like the moss on this photo but again it would be better with more sunlight to create shadows of the funghi on the bark.

Shutter speed = 1/40, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 200

I like the composition and texture of this image but this one came out too dark.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 400

This one worked out alot better than the darker image. I like the sunlight shining from behind the bark and the details in the tree and the dead leaves on the ground.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/5.0, ISO = 200

We found some really old mushrooms on the ground of the nature reserve which were so unusual and interesting so I took some shots of it at different angles and heights.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/5.0, ISO = 400

These images were taken without a tripod which I was worried about but the images came out quite well. The focal point is obviously the mushrooms but your eyes are also drawn outwards to the leaves and moss on the ground.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/5.0, ISO = 400

I like the angle of the image above and how you can see the features and details of the mushrooms really clearly.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 400

This image was taken literaly lying on the ground which helped to steady the camera as well as get a good angle and composition.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 400

This was taken lower down and the subject was even closer to the camera. I love the detail on the mushrooms and how the mushroom on the right is slightly blurred, I feel it adds a different effect.

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 400

Shutter speed = 1/20, Aperture = f/4.5, ISO = 400

I wanted to take a portrait image of the mushrooms to see the difference it made. This way I was able to capture more of the background and really experiment with the depth of field. I like the natural tones and composition of this photo and I feel it gives a 'soft' feel and its very natural.

I feel I have learnt alot from this session and I will take what I have learnt from this into my next images so that I can continue to get better. This was the first time I have used a fully manual camera which I found challenging at times, especially with the change of light and depth of field. But taking that into consideration I think I have done quite well but I always strive to be better and hopefully I will.

Health & Safety on the shoot

With it being very early in the morning when we arrived at the location it was still very dark so we all decided to stick together and move slowly through the nature reserve so that we wouldn't get lost. Fortunately Ian had been to this location many times so he led the way.
Once we had arrived at the spot we wanted to take photographs from we all stayed relatively close to eachother so that no-one would get lost. Also, with the shots of the lake being taken on the watersedge we had to be very careful when taking the images so that we didn't end up falling into the water! Therefore we just kept a safe distance from the edge and also kept our equipment away from the water so that it didn't get damaged or get wet.
With it being early hours of an October morning it was also very cold so we had to make sure that we were all wrapped up warm so that we could stay as long as possible to get the shots we required.

Research - Heligan. A portrait of the lost gardens

Melanie Eclare

When finding other ways to research nature photography for my first theme I came across a book titled 'Heligan. A portrait of the lost gardens'.

It sounds just as beautiful as the photographs inside the book, of which I have selected a few of my favourites and I have displayed these a bit further on. All of the images in the book are taken by photographer Melanie Eclare who worked alongside her husband to produce the book.

This book concentrates on the story and images of Heligan located in Cornwall and really does show off how beautiful these gardens are and why it is one of the most visited gardens in Britain....

I love the hints of colour in this first image and the photo is quite busy. Even though at first my eyes are first drawn to the tree trunk that is running just off centre I find that my eyes move around alot when looking at this image as there is quite alot going on.

This second image is different for the fact that the first two trees are out of focus slightly and the trees in the background are more in focus. I really like this effect and also how the natural light from the sun streams through trees and plants creating shadowing.

I love this close up image of the flower. The photographer has really shown off the brilliant white of the plant by choosing the right exposure and shooting closely displays the detail in the petals and the centre of the flower.

The above image is my favourite close up image in the book. It's a really simple composition but effective because the tones are quite neutral and then you have the pop of colour in the centre and the detail is brilliant.

This is another nice close up image in the book. Again, the composition is really simple with just the main pop of colour coming from the flower itself. I like how the camera has focused on the flower and the background is blurred.

This image above shows how the photographer has used a short depth of field to draw your eyes into the flowers at the forefront of the photograph. She would have done this by using small f numbers. Not only this but she has used the natural light to bounce off the main subject to show it off even more.

The image above uses the lake and the sweeping tree as the main focal point and the photographer has used a larger depth of field to capture more distance in the photograph. She has also captured the reflection in the water which has added more depth and life to the image. I love how the light is shining through the branches on the tree.

My favourite element of this image above is the use of natual light. Melanie has thought of the position of the light and the strength of the light when taking this photograph and how that will be used to her advantage. The way that the light shines through the trees and gives it an almost hazy effect is beautiful. This is something I would like to try and capture in my own images.

This last photograph is beautiful to me because the photographer hasn't just cocentrated on colours or tones, she has thought of the position of the light, the depth of field and the textures on the bark and plants. She would have used a lower ISO number to make sure the image is not grainy and more sharp so that the camera can really pick up on those textures. I feel this is why your eyes are drawn to the most.

I can take alot away from all of these images above and take the skills and techniques Melanie has used and encorporate those into my own images for my assignment. I want to experiment with depth of field, use of light, close up images and textures.

Studio Lesson - 06/10/11

In our lesson last week we were shown the college photography studio in more detail and were shown how to use the equipment and the camera.

Even though I have chosen location photography and not studio photography for my first assignment I thought it would be useful for me to learn more about lighting and more of the technical sides to the camera so that when I come to take my own images I know more about which settings I will need to use and what the settings are.

Our tutor Steve showed us the different lights that can be used in the studio to give different effects in the images, different backdrops and how the shutter speed, ISO and f-stop have to be altered depending on what light (artificial or natural) are being used.

Below are some photographs that were taken in this session. We used a manual setting and changed the shutter speed, ISO and f-stop to experiment and show the different outcome.

This first image is slightly overexposed which means the camera has let too much light in. This means that the balance of the shutter speed and f-stop was not correct and didn't fit well with the light that was already in the shot.

This second image is slightly darker and is better than the first image because there is not as much light bouncing off the subject of the photograph and has a much better balance. The f-stop would have been altered here to a higher f number so that less light is allowed through the camera's lens.

This final image may be slightly too dark for me. I think that somewhere between this image and the second image would have been perfect. An even higher f number would have been used here to create a darker look in the photograph.

I like the neutral tones in the photographs and the fact that the composition is simple. I would like to look at portrait photography in the future as after having this practice session has made me think that it is something I could really enjoy.


Health & Safety

We all had to take care using the equipment in the studio and we could only operate the camera. If any lighting needed to be altered then we needed Steve to change that for us because of the safety implications. We also needed to make sure that the camera was secure enough on the tripod to ensure it didn't come loose.

I feel I have learnt a lot from this studio session and will take all of this research and experiment with these different settings and use them in my own photographs going forward.

It has been really interesting to see how the camera works on more of a technical level and to find out how all of these elements effect the outcome of the image has really opened my eyes to the photography world.

Description and examples of F-stop in photography

An F-stop are the 'f' numbers you find on the description of your camera (eg. f3.5). It also means the aperture of the lens and this 'f' number/figure tells you how much light will pass through the lens of the camera like the light passes through the iris of our eye.

Larger aperture size = allows more light through the lens of the camera (represented by a smaller f number, eg. f2.8)
Smaller aperture size = less light passes through the lens of the camera (represented by a larger f number, eg. f22).

These f-stop numbers range from f1.4 - f64 and can have a major effect on the exposure of an image and also the depth of field.

small f-stop = small depth of field (focuses on things closest to the lens which is good for close-up shots)
large f-stop = large depth of field (focuses on things near and far away from the lens like landscape photography)

Depth of field

The above images show how a small depth of field by using small f numbers. The coin image is using an aperture of f5.6 and you can see how the photograph has focused on the coin at the front and the background is more blurry. The same has happened in the image of the dog which has been taken using an aperture of f6.7.

These two images show a larger depth of field using higher f numbers to create this effect. In the image of the coins the photographer has used an aperture of f32 which has made the depth of field increase considerably compared to the other image of the coins. In the image of the landscape they have used an aperture of f11. This ensures that everything is clear and is in focus.

Exposure is affected by the combination and correct balance of shutter speed and aperture as per the below:

Small f-stop (f4.5) + fast shutter speed (1/1000 sec) = correct exposure

This is because the fast shutter speed lets in less light and the small f-stop lets in more.

Or:

Large f-stop (f22) + slow shutter speed (1/30 sec) = correct exposure

This is because the slow shutter speed means that there is more light coming in but the larger f-stop lets less in.

Description and examples of shutter speed in photography

The shutter speed on a camera indicates how long you require the shutter to stay open whilst you take a photograph. These are measured in fractions of seconds and seconds, e.g 1/2000 (being a very fast shutter speed) all the way down to 1/30 (being a very slow shutter speed).
Although the most commonly used shutter speeds go from 1/500 to 1/60 it does very much depend on what the subject is in your image and below are some examples of what has been used in particular shots.

Very fast shutter speed

Here is an image of seagulls that was taken which shows the birds in motion. To capture the birds without the wings being blurred the photographer has used a very fast shutter speed of 1/750.

Moderately fast shutter speed

Below is an example of where the photographer has used a slower shutter speed of 1/180 than previously used for the seagulls. This is because there was no wind and they did not want the image to be blurry.



Slow shutter speed

Here the photographer wanted to achieve a different look in the photograph. They wanted to make the running water appear blurry so the shutter speed was set at 1/6 of a second. To ensure that the greenery in the background of the image didnt look blurry as well they had to use a tripod. This is an effect that I would like to experiment with in my images.

Very slow shutter speed

This photograph was taken with a tripod and was an 8 second exposure. This image was taken at night and shows the moving cars as blurs which has a really nice effect. Because the shutter speed was very low it meant that the photographer could catch the cars passing completely.



Looking at how shutter speed works its really interesting to see how you can create different effects in your images depending on what the subject is. I think for my first theme - Nature - I would probably be using a slower shutter speed.