Final Images - Theme 1

Nature

Below are what I consider to be my top ten images of the first theme of the course, Nature. I have given an explanation under each image to explain my reasons as to why these have been chosen.

This first image was chosen because it shows great detail and texture of the mushrooms and I like the colours and the tonal range overall. I also like the positioning of the smaller mushroom against the larger taller mushroom. I also like the depth of field used.

This image was chosen mainly for the texture and depth of field. I like how the bark leans and isnt just straight so it adds angles and lines to the photograph.

 

I like the patterns in this image and how it keeps the main focal point as the leaf. There is also symmetry in this image due to the shape and angle of the leaf.

 

Again, there is alot of texture in this photograph and I really like how the light just touches the plants edges to highlight the sharp spikes. I like the central position of the front plant and how that remains the focal point and the depth of field.

I like this image as it looks like a old painting. I think portrait has worked really well in this image which shows off the height of the trees in the background and the angle of the bridge along with the winding path into the background is intriguing. I think putting this in photoshop has helped to bring out the colours of the leaves.

 

This was one of my earlier photographs taken at the gravelpits and I just like the simplicity. It captures the sunrise really nicely and the trees frame the image to draw your eyes in. I love the reflections on the water from the sun and the tonal range is beautiful. 

 

This is also a really simple image of a swan and I like the movment of the ripples in the water and the graceful stance of the bird. The swans eyes draw your eyes across to the right of the image and I like the detail and texture of the swans feathers.

This image was chosen due to the simple composition and tonal range. I like angle of the leaf at the front and how this reaches out to catch your attention making it the main focal point. I also like the subtle highlighting of the leaves from the natural sunlight as this shows off the leaves textures and sheen and also, the lines in this image are really nice.

I like the colour range in this photograph and the depth of field used to make the flower really stand out. The purple tones of the flower pops out against the green background and I like the straight lines and shape of the buds on the flower. The positioning of the flower is also interesting and I like the detail captured in the image.

This is a really simple composition and it is mainly because of that reason that this image was chosen. The swan moves really elegantly and effortless through the water and I think this photograph really captures the essence of the swan. I like the gentle ripples of the water and also the reflections and shadowing on the waters surface which adds dimension.

Theme 1 - Branston Water Park

Preperation and planning

I have been to Branston Water Park before and it is close to where I live so location itself wasn't a problem to get to or find. It was quite cloudy on the day I visited the area so I knew that I would have to adjust the settings on the camera accordingly and with it being midday I knew the sun would be high up. It was also very cold so I knew I had to wrap up warm to allow myself enough time at the location to get the best shots possible. My partner came along with me on the day to help me carry the equipment which I found really helpful.

Equipment used

For this shoot I used a camera and tripod from college which I have used previously. I used a Canon EOS 400D Digital and a standard tripod. Because I had experience with this equipment before it made it easier once I was on location but I did play around with the settings of the camera on the way to the water park to save time once I arrived.

Health & Safety

Before heading out to the location I had to take into account any health and safety implications. Like I mentioned above it was very cold so I had to make sure I was wrapped up warm. I also checked out the park map to make sure that access was possible to all areas and that it was safe. Because I had used the same equipment before there was no issues where that was concerned so knew how to operate and look after the equipment.

Log of images

Below are the main images taken on this shoot at Branston Water Park. I have advised the settings used for each image and have written short descriptions on all the photographs.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

Because it was a cloudy day I had to set the camera's settings accordingly selecting the cloudy option to enable me to get the right amount of balance in the shot and enough vibrancy. I like the simple composition used here and the rule of thirds. I also like the symmetry and the mirroring of the top of the image to the bottom from the reflections in the water.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

I like the depth of field in this image and how you get the cloudy/misty effects towards the back. I wanted to show the curve of the watersedge to the left of the image but there was other visiters to the park so I had to cut some of the curve out so that they were not in the photo.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

Here I wanted to capture the water in motion but it didn't work out how I wanted it too. Because the water was very still it doesn't have much life in the image. However, I do like the details captured of the moss on the rock and pebbles.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/640

This is similiar to the previous image but just at a closer composition.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/640

When I originally chose my first theme of Nature I chose not to take images of animals but as soon as I saw these swans I wanted to take photographs of them. They were so graceful in the water and I liked the ripples created in the water around them.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

I like the positioning of this shot. I was stood on a slight platform so the photograph has some height to it. I like that even though the swan was in motion I managed to capture the swan almost centre and the composition works well.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/640

I like the composition of this image and the angle of the swan. I like that you can also see the swan's feet in the water. This image could be cropped and made into a potrait shot.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/640

This image is probably my favourite of the swan photographs taken on this day. I am glad that I chose to shoot this image portrait and that I managed to get the swan's face and neck central to the image. I think the composition works and I like that you can still see the reflections in the water of the trees in the background and the ripples add life to the shot.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

I wanted the trees and branches to the left to be more of a silhouette than to be captured in detail. This makes the image more eery and mysterious.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

This image is the same as before but slightly closer. I like the depth of field and how the branches feel out towards the centre of the shot.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/640

This is the same tree as before but from a different angle. I like how the tree is a silhouette against the background but how you can still see the leaves on the tree at the same time.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/320

This image was taken at an angle and on a slight hill giving the image some height. It is of a wooden path, bridge and pathway that winds towards the back of the image towards the lake. I decided to take this shot because it had some beautiful lines and the colours of the leaves around the bridge were interesting.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/200

This image is the same as before but as the first shot came out much darker than expected I altered the shutter speed slightly to let more light into the lens. This image came out really well and I love the colours and angle of the shot. The winding path towards the back adds alot of depth to the photo.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/200

I saw this tree and loved the detail and patterns of the bark so I took some close up shots of it. I like these shots but I do feel that they look slightly flat.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/200

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/160

When walking through the park I saw these small purple flowers by themselves amongst bark and leaves. I wanted to capture these flowers to show their vulnerability against the harsh background. This is why I chose to shoot them from a slight distance rather than close up.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/125

The first image of the purple flowers came out too dark so I changed the shutter speed slightly for the shot above.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/125

I love the way the leaf here fans across the image and I like how the green colour really stands out against the darker background of the dried dead leaves on the ground. It is a really simple composition.

ISO - 1600, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/125

I found this tree stump really interesting as it had small branches growing from the top of the stump and also leaves groing from it and the bottom. I liked how the branches growing at the top spread out to look like a hand and hadn't even seen anything like this before. Because of these elements I kept the composition simple and on the main subject. It like the lines and patterns captured on the bark.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/125

This image was all about texture. I wanted to show off the texture of the moss on the bark and also the sharp textures of the branches and twigs to the left.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/160

The first image taken was too light so I increased the shutter speed to create a darker image here.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/160

I like this composition and how the pathway winds around into the background. I also like how the light is shining through the trees at the back and also the nautral tones of the leaves.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/160

Here I wanted to capture the light coming through the top of the trees so needed to position my camera pointing towards the sky. This was quite hard for getting the correct lighting in the image because the light at this point was more direct.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/500

This is similar to the previous image but because of the direct sunlight the image was coming out to bright so I altered the shutter speed accordingly.

ISO - 1600, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/800

I increased the shutter speed even more here and I think it has worked quite well. I like the angle of the shot and the lines of the trees look nice.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/250

I wanted to take a close up of the ground meeting the bottom of a tree because I liked the contrast of textures and patterns. Although, the image came out too dark.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/160

I altered the shutter speed here to allow more light into the image. I like the rough textures of the bark against the softness of the leaves edges on the ground.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/160

This is one of my favourite shots of the day because I like the blurred effect created and the depth of field. It feels like the image goes on forever and it draws you in. The only thing I would change is the tree to the left, I would crop out the gap to the left of the tree as I feel this distracts your eyes slightly.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/160

Here I wanted to show the different lines of the branches and also capture the water droplets on leaves/branches close up. I like that the background is blurred as this makes the main subjects stand out more.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/160

This is a close up of a waterdroplet on one of the branches from the previous image. I think it would look even better closer up but due to the angle and position I had to stand in it made it very difficult to get any closer.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/400

I like the shadowing in this image and the tunnel created by the leaning, curving trees and branches both sides of the winding pathway.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/320

I changed the shutter speed here to create a brighter image. I like the composition as a whole and the colours of the leaves.

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/320

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/250

ISO - 800, f/5, Shutter Speed - 1/200

The images above are of a leaf I came across that was by itself on the ground of the park. I liked the shape and colours of the leaf so wanted to take a close up shot of it to show these elements off. I kept altering the shutter speed for these shots to see which came out best and I feel that the lighter image is the best as this gives the leaf more vibrancy in colour.

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/320

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/250

ISO - 800, f/5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/250

The last three images were taken as I was leaving the park. I noticed this plant and loved the textures and shape so took shots close up but of different compositions and experimented with portrait and landscape. I think both portrait and landscape work well with these plants and I like the depth of field and how the background is blurry and how you can see the mositure on the plants.

This plant and image is very similar to that of Andy Small's work of whom I have researched throughout this course and this was my inspiration:

I wanted to use similar techniques to that of Andy's image above and I do feel that I have done that. It is the same plant and you can clearly see the textures in my work and Andy's work and the positioning is also very similar.

Research on Nature - Andy Small

Andy Small



Andy is a fine art nature photographer and has studied fine art so spent alot of time painting and drawing which is said to have influenced his style of photography. He tends to mainly photograph close up portraits of nature and has become well known for his graphic style and use of bright colours.

Andy uses a Nikon digital camera with Zeiss lenses and alot of the effects for his images are created in a studio with backgrounds and natural lighting but he has also shot images outdoors.

"The natural world is my lifelong passion and provides inspiration for my drawing, painting and photography. Whilst I appreciate those breathtaking views, it is nature on an intimate level that I find most fascinating.
The macro lens is like a window that transports me into another world. In this place I observe details, shapes and patterns that are not usually seen even though most of the subjects are right under our noses." Andy Small

Below are some of my favourite images taken by Andy:

I love the detail shown in this image of the Lily and the use of colour makes it stand out. The natural light used highlights the tip of the flowers petals and I really like the soft lines. The blurry edges of the petals towards the back make it really interesting and makes the pollen the main focal point.

I like the patterns and symmetry in this image and I like that it is really simple and bright and colourful.

The shape and texture of this image makes it really effective and I like how the light reflects off the sharp points on the flower.

The patterns and lines here are really nice and I like how the individual leaves pan out and curve towards the centre of the image. The overlapping of the leaves gives it alot of depth.

I like that the background is blurry in this image as this makes the flower stand out even more and the focus is on the flower. I like the angle of the flower and the way it leans in to the centre.

This image has a really simple composition and I like the bright white colour of the daisy and the yellow stands out. The hints of natural light on the flower is really nice and gives it some life.

The shadows created by the sunlight is really beautiful in this photograph and I like the depth of field. Your eyes are drawn towards the back of the image through the woods and the colour of the bluebells is shown off really well.

The light is more towards the back of the image here with the bluebells still standing out. Even though the bluebells are the main subject in the photograph your eyes firstly go to the bark on the floor. I like the way this bark sweeps across the image and I like the shape and angles.

This image makes you want to follow the path and explore what is beyond. I like the way the path winds towards the end and the way the two trees frame the pathway.

The best part about this image is the use of sunlight and the shadows created by the sunlight filtering through the trees and the colour of the bluebells.

I really like Andy's style of photography and it is quite modern. The use of colour is brilliant and really makes the images stand out from the crowd, most of all I love the simple compositions of the close up shots.