Thursday 6 May 2010

Reflection

Throughout this course looking at the different techniques photographers use to produce their images, has helped me to understand why certain angles, colours, shapes, focal points etc, make for a good photograph. The viewers eye can be made to follow certain routes round an image, using these techniques. The photographer can evoke an emotion using these techniques.
Iv learnt how to use the cameras fully manual modes. Understanding how changing one setting can affect another. For example if i were to lower the shutter speed, then i would have to use a smaller aperture, to ensure the photo isn't over exposed. This would then give me a larger depth of field, and more of the image would be in focus.
Looking at the health and Safety At Work Act, along with the Wildlife And countryside Act, i can see how easily a photographer may affect the environment around them. For instance a photographer may be out in a field taking pictures of a sunset, and could come across a birds nest in a hedge, without realizing it they could disturb the nest, and could cause upset to the animals in or around it. Also if a photographer was in a studio and not paying much attention to the equipment there using, or not using them correctly they could be putting themselves and other people at risk.
I feel Ive learnt a lot from this course, its pushed me to go out and experiment with my camera a bit more. From looking at other photographers work i have gained a lot of inspiration that has helped me to produce the final twelve images for my portfolio.
Looking at other work has helped me to develop my own style. Its helped me to realize that its better to keep things simple, and not over complicate an image (lots of focal points, subjects, things which distract the eye from the main subject etc).

Titles For Images

The Phonebox

Westminster

The Eye

Twilight

Fountain

Lonely Palace

The Palace

Golf Sale

485

Skate Park

Cold Tree

Sunset

These are the titles for my images. Most of them are stating the obvious. I wanted to keep it simple and not go overboard with it. They say what is in the image, be it time of day, object or place. Letting the viewer know straight away what is happening, very to the point. 
Sometimes the title of an image can make the viewer think about what the photographer is trying to say.

Editing in Photoshop




After first deciding to size my print out at A3 i edited all my images to this size using Photoshop. I then shopped around looking for a good price. I found that the average price of an A3 was about £6, which is too expensive for me. So i now have decided to print my photos out at 10x15, which works out at half the price. Iv gone back through all my photos and resized them to fit.
I have included a screen grab of me cropping the photos to 10x15 in Photoshop (bottom photo). Along with some screen grabs of the editing process i used to get the final images (first two photos).