In this assignment I am asked to produce 10 - 15 photographs which include elements of design learned so far in the course. They are to be of a similar subject, such as landscape, flowers, food ingredients etc, or one chosen by myself.
A friend suggested that I take images of ruins and old man made structures which are scattered throughout the area. I could see that this is a potential subject as there are old buildings and remnants of such to be found all around us. The only question remaining is: will I be able to incorporate the elements of design. The only way to find out was to have a go and out by doing it.
Single Point
The single point is an important element of design in photography. It requires being small in the frame with a plain background.
The AA-Box in Glen Dye
Image 5687 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/80 sec, f2.8, ISO100, 100mm
The AA-Box is situated in a triangular island of a road junction. Eventually I found this position I happy with. The background is regular and natural in appearance, providing a contrast to the manmade structure. I managed to avoid the road surfaces, direction signs, as well as the telegraph pole beside it on the left. Though this is not a particular 'old' structure, it is becoming obsolete since the arrival of the mobile phone.
Two Points
Finding an image with two points has been more of a challenge than I anticipated. I found images with two points of interest, but they ended up too close together most of the time, or even to far apart to get into the frame. Eventually I found one at Dunnottar Castle outside Stonehaven.
Sea view from Dunnottar Castle
Image 6452 taken on 22.7.2012, 1/320 sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
I have taken this image out of dark room within the castle ruins. The dark interior gives me two points of interest while the wall is only hinted at while giving a view of the seascape beyond. The added interests to me are the contrasts of dark/light, regular/irregular, large/small shape of the windows. The castle dates back to the 14th century. The image conveys that it is an old man made structure.
Several points in a deliberate shape
For this image I chosen to take photographs of the Mulloch Stone Circle which was erected some 3500 years ago.
Mulloch Stone Circle
Image 5673 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/5 sec, f5.6, ISO100, 18mm
Image 5674 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/10sec, f4.5, ISO100, 11mm
This is one of many stone circles in the area. Someone, perhaps the estate, keeps it clear of to much undergrowth. It is clearly an ancient man made structure. Made up of a number of points (the rocks) and placed at regular intervals into a circle. Of the number of images I took, it is the first one which conveys best the potential circle as a deliberate shape. I do wonder what different effects strong sunlight in the morning or evening will have on the scene. A series of shots in the winter may yield interesting images too.
A combination of vertical and horizontal lines
I am intrigued by the still operational watermill in Finzean which predates the Industrial Revolution. The mill is of a timber construction, some of the buildings are leaning over a fair bit.
Finzean Sawmill
Image 5769 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/640 sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
I have cropped this image in order to concentrate on the horizontal lines of the timber in the foreground and the vertical lines of the leaning shed further back. to me this picture lacks something and I do not know what. The mill has a lot of potential images and possibly could be worthy an assignment on its own.
Diagonals
Horizontal and vertical lines can be changed into diagonals by changing the viewpoint. They give an image a sense of direction.
A Drystone Wall, Ballogie
Image 5787 taken on17.6.2012, 1/2000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
To illustrate the above I positioned myself at the corner of the dry stone wall which is a few hundred years old and still standing. The wall along the road is parallel with the stretch in front of the farm building. This viewpoint guides my eyes along the field down the glen. Due to the darkness I also started experimenting with different ISO settings and the exposure bias value. In this instance I set it at -1. This under exposure enabled me to get more details of the dark grey clouds above. The inclusion of the girl appears to give the image a counter balance to the distant hill.
Curves
Curves too give an image a sense of direction and movement.
Peel of Lumphanan
Image 5764 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/1000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
Image 5765 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/1000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
The Peel of Lumphanan dates back to the 12th century. It was a stronghold and used to have a building on top of the inner mound. The first image shows the path leading up to the mound in a diagonal curve. The second image shows the, I guess defence walls which encircle the stronghold. From this position I can guess that the curve will continue surrounding the even higher mound. Again I will return to here to take images in early or late sunshine and when covered by snow. It will be interesting to practice taking images with strong light and shade.
Distinct, even if irregular, shapes
Round, a mystery structure
Image 5675 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/125sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
For many years have I driven past this round structure and have no idea what it has been used for. Someone has removed vegetation from it over recent month.. It is about 4m in diameter and stands about 3m tall. At the bottom is a doorway, but it does not reach inside. This structure is not marked on the map. At least it demonstrates a well build dry stone wall type construction.
At least two kinds of implied triangle
Triangles are the most basic of shapes we encounter in many spheres of our life. They are used in engineering to give stability to structures. A three legged table or chair does not wobble. In Art and Photography the also give a sense of movement, perspective and structure. The implied triangle, as the name suggests, is not real, but can be found be seeking out two diagonal lines.
Dunnottar Castle
Image 6417 taken on 22.7.2012, 1/160sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
This is one of the buildings in cliff side of Dunnottar Castle. From this perspective the range of diagonals and the use of the wide angle lens give the building perspective. The implied triangle becomes visible when I continue the roofline to the right and another along the windows until both lines meet in the distance.
White Bridge, Cambus of May
Image 6105 taken on 15.7.2012, 1/320sec, f5.6, ISO100, 20mm
This bridge was constructed during the Industrial Revolution, or the Victorian Era, with the arrival of the railway in Dee valley. The bridge created access for the rural crofts and estates to the railway station. A range of actual and implied triangle can be found to give this image perspective.
Arbuthnott Church
By using the wide angle lens the perspective and implied triangles draw my eyes to the front of this little church.
Rhythm
Rhythm has elements of patterns, but something else to take the eye away.
Dunnottar Castle
I noticed the irregular stonework of this wall and the doorway into the inside of the building. This leads my eyes away from the wall and they move to the door and the room beyond.
Roof, Johnshaven
Image 5965 taken on 24.6.2012, 1/60sec, f5, ISO100, 16mm
Tiles on roofs like these can be found in many of the coastal communities in this area. Apparently they came as ballast from Holland on sailing ships. The ships with a load of 'silver darlings', herring to be sold on continental Europe. My eyes are drawn away from the regular pattern to the decay and plant life, giving it some rhythm.
Pattern
In Pattern a feature gets repeated which may of interest to the viewer.
Rail, Churchyard, Peterculter
Image 5761 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/500sec, f5, ISO800, 96mm
This iron rail surrounds the churchyard in Peterculter. The strong pattern is repeated. In this instance I lowered myself and focused on the rail leaving the distant hills and river Dee blurred.
Conclusions
This has become an interesting assignment. Remembering and searching for hopefully interesting subjects to photograph. The weather too has been a challenge with plenty of dreich days around. Twice I had been advised that I could not take photographs as there is no sun. Well she was above the rain clouds. To me its all about getting to know the camera and how I can use it. Noticing images in a different way has been a learning curve as I used the elements of design in other images I have taken too. I have told myself over the past year that even though I have not taken images of 'iconic or exotic' locations, they may well be such to people living in deserts, jungles or any other places of this planet.
A number of locations used for this assignment I shall revisit. The sawmill and Dunnottar Castle can be projects in their own rights, as can be be a few structures not shared.
Having had a subject for this assignment has helped me to focus on it. I am grateful that a friend suggested the subject as I would not have concidered it. Landscape would have been an easy and quick option as I travel every day through the country side.
For me using a computer is still the toughest thing to learn to use at this moment. Discussions on software are often meaningless and difficult to follow. I prefer to get my images right in camera with the least interference in photoshop. As I only get familiar with photoshop I do not really want to work out something else at this stage.
So far I have only glanced at the books mentioned in the reading list. The cameras manual is well thumbed through.
Leif Feilberg, Johnshaven, 2.8.2012
Single Point
The single point is an important element of design in photography. It requires being small in the frame with a plain background.
The AA-Box in Glen Dye
Image 5687 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/80 sec, f2.8, ISO100, 100mm
The AA-Box is situated in a triangular island of a road junction. Eventually I found this position I happy with. The background is regular and natural in appearance, providing a contrast to the manmade structure. I managed to avoid the road surfaces, direction signs, as well as the telegraph pole beside it on the left. Though this is not a particular 'old' structure, it is becoming obsolete since the arrival of the mobile phone.
Two Points
Finding an image with two points has been more of a challenge than I anticipated. I found images with two points of interest, but they ended up too close together most of the time, or even to far apart to get into the frame. Eventually I found one at Dunnottar Castle outside Stonehaven.
Sea view from Dunnottar Castle
Image 6452 taken on 22.7.2012, 1/320 sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
I have taken this image out of dark room within the castle ruins. The dark interior gives me two points of interest while the wall is only hinted at while giving a view of the seascape beyond. The added interests to me are the contrasts of dark/light, regular/irregular, large/small shape of the windows. The castle dates back to the 14th century. The image conveys that it is an old man made structure.
Several points in a deliberate shape
For this image I chosen to take photographs of the Mulloch Stone Circle which was erected some 3500 years ago.
Mulloch Stone Circle
Image 5673 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/5 sec, f5.6, ISO100, 18mm
Image 5674 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/10sec, f4.5, ISO100, 11mm
This is one of many stone circles in the area. Someone, perhaps the estate, keeps it clear of to much undergrowth. It is clearly an ancient man made structure. Made up of a number of points (the rocks) and placed at regular intervals into a circle. Of the number of images I took, it is the first one which conveys best the potential circle as a deliberate shape. I do wonder what different effects strong sunlight in the morning or evening will have on the scene. A series of shots in the winter may yield interesting images too.
A combination of vertical and horizontal lines
I am intrigued by the still operational watermill in Finzean which predates the Industrial Revolution. The mill is of a timber construction, some of the buildings are leaning over a fair bit.
Finzean Sawmill
Image 5769 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/640 sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
I have cropped this image in order to concentrate on the horizontal lines of the timber in the foreground and the vertical lines of the leaning shed further back. to me this picture lacks something and I do not know what. The mill has a lot of potential images and possibly could be worthy an assignment on its own.
Diagonals
Horizontal and vertical lines can be changed into diagonals by changing the viewpoint. They give an image a sense of direction.
A Drystone Wall, Ballogie
Image 5787 taken on17.6.2012, 1/2000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
To illustrate the above I positioned myself at the corner of the dry stone wall which is a few hundred years old and still standing. The wall along the road is parallel with the stretch in front of the farm building. This viewpoint guides my eyes along the field down the glen. Due to the darkness I also started experimenting with different ISO settings and the exposure bias value. In this instance I set it at -1. This under exposure enabled me to get more details of the dark grey clouds above. The inclusion of the girl appears to give the image a counter balance to the distant hill.
Curves
Curves too give an image a sense of direction and movement.
Peel of Lumphanan
Image 5764 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/1000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
Image 5765 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/1000sec, f4, ISO800, 10mm
The Peel of Lumphanan dates back to the 12th century. It was a stronghold and used to have a building on top of the inner mound. The first image shows the path leading up to the mound in a diagonal curve. The second image shows the, I guess defence walls which encircle the stronghold. From this position I can guess that the curve will continue surrounding the even higher mound. Again I will return to here to take images in early or late sunshine and when covered by snow. It will be interesting to practice taking images with strong light and shade.
Distinct, even if irregular, shapes
Round, a mystery structure
Image 5675 taken on 10.6.2012, 1/125sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
For many years have I driven past this round structure and have no idea what it has been used for. Someone has removed vegetation from it over recent month.. It is about 4m in diameter and stands about 3m tall. At the bottom is a doorway, but it does not reach inside. This structure is not marked on the map. At least it demonstrates a well build dry stone wall type construction.
At least two kinds of implied triangle
Triangles are the most basic of shapes we encounter in many spheres of our life. They are used in engineering to give stability to structures. A three legged table or chair does not wobble. In Art and Photography the also give a sense of movement, perspective and structure. The implied triangle, as the name suggests, is not real, but can be found be seeking out two diagonal lines.
Dunnottar Castle
Image 6417 taken on 22.7.2012, 1/160sec, f5, ISO100, 14mm
This is one of the buildings in cliff side of Dunnottar Castle. From this perspective the range of diagonals and the use of the wide angle lens give the building perspective. The implied triangle becomes visible when I continue the roofline to the right and another along the windows until both lines meet in the distance.
White Bridge, Cambus of May
Image 6105 taken on 15.7.2012, 1/320sec, f5.6, ISO100, 20mm
This bridge was constructed during the Industrial Revolution, or the Victorian Era, with the arrival of the railway in Dee valley. The bridge created access for the rural crofts and estates to the railway station. A range of actual and implied triangle can be found to give this image perspective.
Arbuthnott Church
By using the wide angle lens the perspective and implied triangles draw my eyes to the front of this little church.
Rhythm
Rhythm has elements of patterns, but something else to take the eye away.
Dunnottar Castle
Image 6445 taken on 22.7.2012, 1/400sec, f5, ISO200, 14mm
I noticed the irregular stonework of this wall and the doorway into the inside of the building. This leads my eyes away from the wall and they move to the door and the room beyond.
Roof, Johnshaven
Image 5965 taken on 24.6.2012, 1/60sec, f5, ISO100, 16mm
Tiles on roofs like these can be found in many of the coastal communities in this area. Apparently they came as ballast from Holland on sailing ships. The ships with a load of 'silver darlings', herring to be sold on continental Europe. My eyes are drawn away from the regular pattern to the decay and plant life, giving it some rhythm.
Pattern
In Pattern a feature gets repeated which may of interest to the viewer.
Rail, Churchyard, Peterculter
Image 5761 taken on 17.6.2012, 1/500sec, f5, ISO800, 96mm
This iron rail surrounds the churchyard in Peterculter. The strong pattern is repeated. In this instance I lowered myself and focused on the rail leaving the distant hills and river Dee blurred.
Conclusions
This has become an interesting assignment. Remembering and searching for hopefully interesting subjects to photograph. The weather too has been a challenge with plenty of dreich days around. Twice I had been advised that I could not take photographs as there is no sun. Well she was above the rain clouds. To me its all about getting to know the camera and how I can use it. Noticing images in a different way has been a learning curve as I used the elements of design in other images I have taken too. I have told myself over the past year that even though I have not taken images of 'iconic or exotic' locations, they may well be such to people living in deserts, jungles or any other places of this planet.
A number of locations used for this assignment I shall revisit. The sawmill and Dunnottar Castle can be projects in their own rights, as can be be a few structures not shared.
Having had a subject for this assignment has helped me to focus on it. I am grateful that a friend suggested the subject as I would not have concidered it. Landscape would have been an easy and quick option as I travel every day through the country side.
For me using a computer is still the toughest thing to learn to use at this moment. Discussions on software are often meaningless and difficult to follow. I prefer to get my images right in camera with the least interference in photoshop. As I only get familiar with photoshop I do not really want to work out something else at this stage.
So far I have only glanced at the books mentioned in the reading list. The cameras manual is well thumbed through.
Leif Feilberg, Johnshaven, 2.8.2012
