ASSIGNMENT 3: BUILDINGS IN USE update

Have made my final selection for this assignment. From the list of buildings I originally researched I have narrowed my choice to:

GOMA, The Briggait, The Botanic Gardens, Glasgow Climbing Centre and Glasgow School of Art.

I decided to add my workplace, James Watt College as it is a very modern structure which compliments my other choices quite nicely.

I am becoming mindful of the March assessement, so need to focus on the final assignments if I want to meet the deadline mid Feb. I have decided to leave writing up the remaining exercises on my blog for now (most of which have been photographed) to concentrate on completing the assignment work.

Ex 19: A single small figure

I really enjoyed taking the pictures for this exercise. Some are staged, most just captured as the opportunity arose. It's interesting to consider how scale can influence our perception of a space and how showing a small figure in the landscape emphasises how tiny we are against the grandeur of the world around us.

Each shot has either been taken or cropped taking the position of the figure in the frame into careful consideration. The moving figures work best positioned to the left, walking into the frame.

 

 

Ex 17: The user's point of view

This exercise asks us to consider a space or building from a specific, distinctive position.

My first location was the 3D maze at the Cream of Galloway Visitor's Centre. The maze is built high into the trees, so giving an interesting perspective, looking down from upon high to ground level, or vice-vera. It is designed for young children, so I played with the idea of taking the pictures at their eye level.

My second location was a golf driving range. These shots are taken from a evelated bay. The design of the range isolates each golfer into their own space to help them concentrate.

Both locations were taken with my compact camera. I used a wide angle to gain an overview of the location and zoomed in to get a closer angle of view.

ASSIGNMENT 5: PEOPLE AND PLACE ON ASSIGNMENT: Update

Off to a good start. After a rec shoot at the Walker's shop on 9/10 with my compact camera,
I returned on 13/10 to take pictures of the mechanics and Susan Walker. I used my 50mm prime lens and a borrowed flashgun for the first time. Having read up on how to use a flashgun I used a diffuser and adjusted the power setting to try to keep the lighting natural, while adding fill-in detail to the subjects faces. I will probably need to invest in a flashgun sooner rather than later.

The mechanics Dan and Mike were very friendly and happy to be photographed while they worked. I tried not to pose them too much and as a result the shots look natural but some are not suitable because elements of the image are not right, be it lighting, pose or background clutter. The prime lens worked really well by defocusing the busy background of the workshop setting.

I forgot to take model release forms so must get these done next visit, which will be on Nov 8th. I am really pleased because the client has asked me to design their promotional brochure, featuring my photography.

On Oct 17th I took photos of Walker's Cycling club members participating in a round of the Scottish Cyclo-cross championships at Strathclyde Park. The weather was blustery and it was very difficult to take pictures in the trees due to the poor light conditions. I was quite successful working with shutter priority to freeze the action and to try some panning shots. I used my zoom lens with a shallow depth of field to get some candid shots of the riders at the startline. There are more events in the coming weeks so I plan to attend a few to try to improve my shots.

Victor Albrow

Victor Albrow is a Scottish photographer, currently exhibiting at Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow. He challenges our perception of the traditional portrait: "Photographic portraits appear to give us a true representation of the other but at best they only give us a partial idea of what or who we are looking at".

His pictures are highly stylised, using hyper-realistic digital imaging techniques to create an almost cinematic feel, whilst displaying a clear influence from diverse art movements such as the Renaissance and Pop Art. His subjects are carefully 'staged' to appear unaware of the viewer, as if captured in the moment of an unfolding drama. The viewer is left to create the story from the visual clues, as little is revealed by facial expressions. The exhibition literature describes the subjects as 'stauesque, lonesome, clinical, yet seductive'.

 

 At first viewing I felt quite detached from the images, the lack of expression making it difficult to connect. Instead I found myself focusing on the digital editing aspect, wondering what manipulation had been made. However, on a second viewing I found myself drawn into the narrative, creating scenarios for each image, using elements from the picture to interpret the scene. My favourite image (above) features a boy reading a book illustrated with mathematical formulae, reflected in the wallpaper pattern and whose shirt pattern matched his freckles!

I found Albrow's work challenging but interesting and a very different approach to portraiture. Interestingly, many people were trying to read much significance into the food and scenes in which Albrow placed each sitter, however at the artist's talk he suggested there was no great 'narrative' or meaning, just that these were things his subjects liked.

ASSIGNMENT 4: A SENSE OF PLACE: Update

Five weeks into term and I haven't had much free time to work on the assignments but with a clear sky and full moon at the weekend I ventured back to try and shoot the BBC Scotland building again with better equipment. This was the first time I had attempted night-time urban photography with my SLR and a tripod.

I wasted the sunset light taking photgraphs of the dockyard cranes silhouetted against a beautiful orange skyline but was too far away to get a pleasing result.

Then onto the BBC building which is very uninspiring in daylight but comes alive with an ever changing light display after dark.

The Clyde Auditorium, affectionately known as 'The Armadillo' the caught my eye next.

The complimentary colours of the blue building and orange streetlights works really well and I was so lucky to have such a defined, symmetrical reflection in the water.

Finally I took some shots of the iconic Titan crane and squinty bridge.

I love the angles in this shot and the fact that the moon was in just the right place. Couldn't avoid the railing unfortunately but will do some more post-production to see what can be done to make it less distracting.

We are so lucky in Glasgow to have such photogenic landmarks within a short distance of each other, along the River Clyde. I felt it was important to show my city at night-time as well as in daylight and think I will be able to submit at least one image for the assignment.

The pictures have generated positive feedback on my Facebook page which has certainly boosted my confidence. I did enjoy taking these shots and am so keen to get back out there to take more and experiment with different techniques. Roll on dark nights!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=31208&id=100000663977579

Update on assignments

Went to the Imax Cinema at the Science Centre (Toy Story 3D is fabulous) and took a few reccie shots of the BBC building with my new compact Panasonic Lumix camera. The colours of reflecting in the Clyde are wonderful and I intend to return with my SLR and tripod while the weather is so good.

Not so successful shooting the MTB race for Assignment 5. 300 mile round trip to a race at Wolftrax, Laggan on Sunday. Set off in glorious sunshine, arrived at the event in the rain, drove home in glorious sunshine . . . Forest location was not that photogenic and it doesn't help that my client 'Walkers Cycling' race in black and grey! Converting to b/w helps but I don't think any of my shots are strong enough for submission.

Ex12: Close and involved

This exercise considers using a wide angle lens, more commonly chosen for landscape photography, to expand the area captured and to create involvement. Shooting at around 28mm in close proximity of people effectively brings the viewer into the picture, making them part of the activity.

The technique, know as 'subjective camera' is also common in film making, the idea being to put the camera in the place of the viewer, recording the scene from their viewpoint. The opposite technique 'objective camera' has the viewer observing from the sidelines — an onlooker capturing the image. An example would be the view a car driver has of the road as opposed to watching the car passing by from the roadside.

I decided to try this exercise at the weekend when 18 members of my walking club were staying in a small cottage. These gatherings are very sociable so I hoped to capture some close and involved images. I kept my zoom lens at 18mm (approx 26mm equivalent) and fired away. I used 400 ISO as I was shooting in low light and hoped to avoid using on-camera flash, since I would be so close to my subjects.

Afternoon in the cottage. A much wider scene is captured using 18mm, giving a good overview of the surroundings.

In the queue to get dinner. I like the way the wide angle captures the scene but being so close you can't control unwanted item, such as a wooden spoon, from popping into the shot.

Looking at this picture I feel I am in the queue for the food (which indeed I was!)

I positioned myself at the same level as the diners to give the sense of sitting at the table with them.

I think the same scene from standing becomes more objective and less involved.

Staying seated to take the pictures kept a sense of involvement. Having the camera with me all night meant people got used to seeing it and relaxed — a glass of wine or 2 may have also helped with this! Not aiming the camera directly at them also helped and it's interesting to note that the people sitting opposite me were much more aware of the camera and posed accordingly (see below)

The ladies didn't notice me holding the camera down low resulting in a more candid picture.

Perhaps I cheated slightly with this exercise, chosing to work in a comfortable situation with people I know. I don't think I have a set of particularly strong images but think using a wide-angle approach could produce some interesting images given a bit of thought and practise. I also think I would have struggled to attempt this out on the street but will give it a try next visit to town.

Some of the difficulties with this technique:

• working very close to people they either avoid the camera or pose
• candid close-ups may not be flattering
• distracting objects creep into the frame
• could make you feel very uncomfortable photographing strangers

Advantages:

• real sense of being part of the action
• wide angle takes in more of the scene
• could be used to great effect if controlled

ASSIGNMENT 5: PEOPLE AND PLACE ON ASSIGNMENT

Have approached Walkers Cycling to be my client for this final assignment. I have known the Walkers for several years and feel quite comfortable with the idea of building a brief around their cycle shop and bike club. Knowing some of the staff and club members should hopefully make me more confident and comfortable about getting the shots I want. My intention is to shoot in the shop and on location with a deadline of mid Oct. The cycle racing season is almost over so some shots have to be taken in the next few weeks or not all.

After an initial discussion with Susan Walker I have drawn up an initial list of proposed shots for them to consider. She would like a range of images that can be used on their website and in promotional literature.

1 Staff at shopfront
2 Staff portrait with their favourite bike
3 Staff line-up
4 Staff profile pics
5 Workshop, mechanic working on bike
6 Customer in shop
7 Neil Walker coaching/training a cyclist
8 Commuting folding bike being put on train or bus
9 Child cycling (Finlay?)
10 MTB race (Wolftrax end Aug)
11 Cyclocross training (Thurs eve at Irvine)
12 Clubrun
13 Close-up of rider in Walkers Cycling Club clothing
14 Female rider/s (Anna/Julie?)

Once the shots have been established I will need to coordinate dates and times that fit around my college committments and shop hours. Consideration will need to be given to equipment, locations and style of shots required. I will revisit techniques learned throughout the course to ensure a wide variety of approaches are attempted.

Ex 11: Standing Back

There are several advantages to photographing people using a medium-long focal length. From a confidence point of view you are sufficiently far away to be undetected and don't have the trauma of having to ask to take the picture. I think my confidence has grown as a result of undertaking this course but I still find it incredibly difficult to ask a complete stranger if I can photograph them. From a photographic point of view you are capturing the moment and importantly a facial expression that is completely natural, un-posed or forced.

Working with these longer focal lengths also affords creative opportunities to work with a shallow depth of field, often important to isolate the subject from a busy background. I think the images I took for exercises 9 and 14 show this to good effect. With regard to the pictures below,  it was a bright sunny day at the Botanic Gardens so I was able to work in aperture priority using F4 and F5.6 to get a reasonably shallow depth of field. I have a 105-200mm zoom which limits me slightly and I am aware I could stop down further if I had a prime lens. I intend to do some reading to see how other photographers have used telephoto lenses creatively.

I encountered three specific practical difficulties. The first was being able to react quickly enough to capture the moment. The second was feeling uneasy about using an SLR in a public space, its size not easy to hide. Probably nobody even gave me a second glance but I felt very self-conscious at times. The third was intrusive factors which from a distance you have no control over, such as location, traffic and/or other people which spoiled the composition of the shot.

These two shots were taken with my Canon compact camera at maximum zoom. A much smaller, less conspicous camera, so easier to take candid shots from slightly closer than using an SLR.

 F6.3, ISO 200, 200mm

I like that this image has three planes of interest and that the diagonal leads you through the picture. The main focus is on the artist, looking the part in his beret. The man reading is slightly out of focus, creating depth in the picture and suggesting that people are enjoying various realxing activities while passing time on a sunny day. The pigeon in the foreground appears to be looking at whatever the artist is drawing.

F5.6, ISO 200, 200mm

I liked the way the light was catching this girl reading under a tree. It was interesting that she chose to sit on the grass while the benches behind her remained empty.

F5.6, ISO 200, 145mm

What have they spotted up there?

 F5.6, ISO 200, 200mm

This man was working hard in his outdoor office. I liked the way he was sitting, totally engrossed. There was lots of activity around him but he never once looked up.

F4, ISO 200, 55mm

Taken from the same position with a shorter focal length. The picture doesn't seem to hold as much interest at a 'normal' focal length. We don't engage with the subject as he is too far away.

ASSIGNMENT 4: A SENSE OF PLACE

It seemed sensible to work on this assigment in conjunction with Assignment 3, since I wanted to explore Glasgow further. It's my home city and a place I know well enough to feel confident about finding suitable locations and subject matter for the project. As I mentioned before, Glasgow is a city of great contrast, from areas of extreme urban deprivation to very upmarket shops and hotels. It has a vibrant business quarter and the riverside is finally being landscaped giving a modern, almost continental feel to the River Clyde which runs through the heart of the city.

The brief calls for a set of images suitable for an intelligent, thoughtful travel publication, so to my mind this means I should try to show the city at its best. I have opted to focus on important buildings and landmarks which a reader of say, The Sunday Times Travel magazine, would be recommended to see on a Citybreak. This approach means ommitting the rougher side of the city and its people, thereby ignoring concerning social issues but it would be interesting to reconsider the assignment from a different angle in the future.

Background reading has included Glasgow: City Beautiful by John McDermott and Glasgow by Colin Baxter. I have been looking at Flickr and am particulary impressed by the work of David Stanton and Anthony Brawley.

Several of my locations double up with Assignment 3 so I have asked my tutor for clarification as to using images showing different aspects of the same buildings. Other possible locations include:

• The City Chambers
• Merchant City
• Glasgow Catherdral and the Necropolis
• Prince's Square
• The West End and Ashton Lane
• Willow Tea Rooms
• George Square
• The Armadillo

Some of the people shots will probably need to be set up and I have contacted friends who will hopefully help with some pavement café and shopping images. There is still a lot of work to do on this assignment but I feel I am off to a positive start.

ASSIGNMENT 3: BUILDINGS IN USE

This assignment requires an investigation of five or six buildings, then to take pictures which show the important features of each building and how the space is utilised. My initial list of buildings to research are located in Glasgow as it has a rich architectural history which provides an interesting contrast with modern landmarks, notably the current regeneration of several locations in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

• Kibble Palace — The Botanic Gardens
• The Briggait
• Gallery of Modern Art
• Glasgow School of Art
• Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery
• Trongate 103
• The Lighthouse
• House for an Art Lover
• The Glasgow Climbing Centre
• River Clyde Waterfront 
• The Science Centre
• BBC Scotland 

Over the past few weeks I have managed to conduct some research and take pictures in all but the last two locations. The latter look better at night so I am waiting for an earlier sunset. Having reviewed my list it's interesting to see that I have been drawn to no less than seven creative spaces — possibly influenced by my design background? However, I shall have to be selective as the assignment requires variety in size and purpose.

I am really enjoying this project and feel much more engaged than with the portraiture assignments. I love getting out and about, especially in my hometown and working on this exercise has made me reconsider the way I look at buildings and got me thinking more about how people interact with them.

ASSIGNMENT 1: A COMPREHENSIVE PORTRAIT

I chose my husband David, as the subject for this assignment. Most people on the People and Place course seem to choose family or close friends for this first assignment, probably because it's convenient and possibly a 'safe' option, as we are perhaps not yet confident photographing strangers. That was certainly my viewpoint but I also wanted to capture something of David's personality and interests, especially his love of outdoor activities, mainly walking and cycling. This has meant the assignment has taken a long time as some activities were seasonal. I also confess to dragging my heels as the pictures were completed some months ago but I have been reluctant to submit the work for assessment. I am not sure of the reason for this — perhaps a lack of confidence? I had not attempted any portraiture before embarking on this course but I suppose that's what it's all about – to get you out of your comfort zone and try new things. . .

Robin Gillanders (The Photographic Portrait, p18) states 'photography requires a context.' This was my aim - I didn't want to to take a picture that was technically competent or styled but ultimately meaningless, I wanted to take one that told you something about David. Again Gillanders says, 'some of the best portaits imply a narrative.'

I have nine images I think suitable so now have to narrow them down for submission. Some have been more sucessful than others, the action shots are not as dramatic as I envisaged and in hindsight I should have taken time to explore the notion that a portrait does not always need to include the face. Hopefully I will revisit these ideas after my tutor feedback.

I still have some Photoshop work to do, the kilt image in particular has to be aged. Any thoughts and comments most welcome as this might spur me on to actually submitting the work!

Progress

You wouldn't guess from the lack of activity on my blog but I have been out and about taking lots of photographs, working towards Assignments 3 and 4. I decided to focus my attention on my home city of Glasgow, as I think it still has the reputation of being Edinburgh's poor relation, when in fact so much has changed in recent years. Glasgow now has a great vibe for culture, cuisine, shopping, music, sport and architecture and these are some of the aspects I hope to portray in my photography.

This afternoon I am going into Glasgow for the Merchant City Street Festival. This event is in its 9th year and involves art, theatre, street performance and outdoor markets. My specific aim is to take shots for Ex 13: A Standard View.

I now have a large pool of images to post-process and comment on, however this is proving challenging as I suffer from RSI and can only work at my computer for short periods at a time. The solution (which I have not been doing) is ofcourse to set aside 1 or 2 hours each day but usually something else takes my attention. So the plan is to focus and get the blog up to date this week. Fingers crossed!

Don't try this at home!

Claire proving that she can indeed vary her pose! A studio health & safety nightmare.

Ex 8: Varying Pose

I spent some time collecting images of people in a variety of poses and it struck me how gender specific many appeared. Body language was also very apparent. In editorial features this gave some incling as to the subject's personality or impression they wished to convey to suit the article. In fashion shots varying poses and styling sells clothes and implies an attitude to match.

So, I had lots of inspiration but nobody willing to pose for me! Luckily I met Claire who is the nicest, most outgoing person. She had never done a studio shoot before and was really keen to help me out. We set up a very basic, evenly lit studio and I showed her the images I had cut from magazines.

STANDING
We began with the standing shots as I felt they would be easiest and help us both relax into the shoot. I suggested she used a hat as a prop, which helped her to vary the poses.

SITTING
I would have liked a variety of seating options, especially to try relaxed sofa shots,  but was unfortunately limited to a wooden chair. The chair had the effect of calming Claire down slightly - but she still insisted on doing a headstand on it!

The pose above is interesting because in my reference shot the actress was leaning forward on a sofa, hands clasped, looking to camera and smiling. It looked very natural and open. Claire is looking away with her hands holding the chair which just makes her look awkward.

I like the top shot as her arms and legs are following the shape of the chair. It gives a passing nod to Lewis Morley's shot of Christine Keeler, albeit clothed!

FLOOR
Finally we tried some shots on the floor. I like these the best as Claire has relaxed and not so extrovert. Her real personality is beginning to shine through.

All in all I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this exercise, which was entirely due to Claire's bubbly personality and enthusiasm. On reflection I wish I had taken more care over the lighting and asked Claire to dress in more colourful clothing. Perhaps though her neutral outfit allows us to consider the poses without any distractions.