Exercise: Cropping

In this exercise we are asked to crop an image instead of using the camera to fill the screen.

Full Moon passing by

This Picture of the full moon was taken on 8.1.2012, (3611). The top is the original picture. I was primarely concentrating on getting the moons exposure and focus right. I used the distant tree to add interest. In photoshop I used a square crop to contrast the round moon and offset it to the right and leave it to the viewers imagination to watch the moons pass to the left behind the tree.

Bison's - In Scotland?

I was driving along the busy dual carriageway when glimpsed in the distance a group of bison. Half a mile onwards there was a safe parking place.

The field was quite a distance away so I used the longer lens as I did not wish to cross the steep banks. In photoshop I cut out a bit of the field and a lot of the sky as both did not add anything to the image. The long narrow crop concentrates on this for Scotland unusual sight. Taken on 29.12.2011,(3381)

Sheep feeding on turnip

For a few days I had seen this field with sheep at early dawn and thought that this could make some interesting pictures in better light.

This is the original image and gives the general view of the landscape, and lents itself also for some crops. I did take a few other pictures where I focused on simular views as with this crop.

In this image my eye concentrates on the regular lines of turnips in an uneven field by sheep feeding.

I composed this narrow vertical crop to focus even more on the parallel lines. I just managed to avoid cutting through any sheep in the forground and the centre of the picture. Another crop could be about a quarter way down. However to me it seems that having three groups of sheep looked more interesting and also gives the impression that the field is disappearing into the far distance. Taken on 22.2.2012, (4328).

Exercise: Vertical and horizontal frames

For this exercise I am to take 20 photograph's and taking each in both the vertical and horizontal frame. Out of habit we tend to take pictures horizontally, me included.
It has taken me a while to get this exercise completed. I wanted not to just take any pictures, but also practice using the maual settings of the camera, increase the range of images I normally take and deal with the poorer light conditions at this time of year.

I noticed quickly how automatically I used the horizontal format first in most instances. The exercise therefore has been usefull to get into the habit using both formats as both have their merits. Someone advised me that I can take photograph's without grain up to ISO1600. This I find surprising as in past with film I used only up to ISO400. If I find this works I can take pictures of moving subjects at higher shutterspeeds, must try this out and look at the quality of the prints.

Exercise: Positioning the horizon

I happened to be working in Newtonhill on the 2.2.2012 and could observe the cloudbank over the sea and the sun rising behind. I went to the cliff and took a series of pictures with the horizon in different position.

Image 4074, the horizon is in the top of the picture. In this composition my eyes are drawn to the sea and the waves. The distant sunrays and the top of the cliff add extra depth and scale to the image.

Image 4075, taken a moment later with the horizon centred. Now my eyes are drawn to the far distance and possibly beyond the sunrays.

Image 4076, the horizon is in bottom third of the picture, my eyes start wander away from the sea towards the clouds as they start to dominate the the picture.

Image 4077, the horizon is at the very bottom to indicate the presence of the sea, but my eyes are drawn fully to the clouds.
All pictures where taken within a few minutes and the same focal length and come up with very different results. The series also demonstrates how we look at an overall scene, in this instance I looked down at the sea and followed towards the sky.