Assignment 3 DPP Retaken photos and response to tutor feedback
When I submitted my assignment, I was not 100% happy with some images and had included my thoughts on why I thought they had not worked in my original assignment. It was encouraging to read that my tutor agreed with me and advised how I could improve my images. I was able to revisit the property and look at it in a new light. My tutor thought I was beginning to understand what made a black and white image, and I must admit that when I first started the Monochrome project, I had little idea of the work required to turn the image from a black and white conversion in Photoshop into a black and white photograph. The other point of note from my tutor was to pay more attention to the framing of the subject.
Exterior
 |
| Retake F8 1/90 ISO400 20x1.6=32mm focal length using a telephoto lens |
I originally visited the property on a sunny day. However, it was not so good for the panorama which I wanted to include as an establishing shot. I decided to retake the image in more even light so I revisited the property on a dull day. My tutor commented that in my original, I had corrected the verticals in my image but not the horizon, and the image was unbalanced.
 |
| original 1/45 F16 ISO200 18x1.6 =28.8mm |
By changing my position and looking at the house straight on, I think I have balanced the image. As the tripod was placed on uneven ground, I took great care to ensure the camera was as level as possible by using live view before I took each image. When processing, I applied a grid so I could check that the ground was level and rulers to check that the house was placed with the same amount of space on each side. I think what remains is an optical illusion.
I cloned out the lights which were shining in the church; photo merged the images together in Photoshop and altered the vertical and horizontal perspectives. Using a new adjustment layer, I set the black and white points and increased the highlights and mid tones to increase the contrast on the building. I think the result is more balanced with better lighting and a better position although in my opinion it gives a more oppressive feel to the building. This shows form and tonal contrast.
Columns
 |
| 1/90 f4.5 ISO400 New focal length = 70x1.6=112mm |
My tutor agreed that the texture of these columns was shown in the black and white image. Her advice was to include only part of the columns and use a longer lens to compress the subject. Using my 70-200mm lens (x1.6=112-320mm), I experimented with only part of the columns. I originally took this at an angle but straightened it because I did not want the columns to look like they were falling down.
 |
| original 1/350 F13 ISO200 32x1.6=51.2mm |
When processing the image, I cloned and patched an area where the window was missing. (I did not have these skills when I did the original assignment. I developed them subsequently as part of the exercises in part 4.) I corrected the lens distortion and opened an adjustment layer to increase the contrast. The texture and pattern is still visible. I was pleased with the resulting effect.
I think this works because it shows all three qualities of texture, form and tonal contrast. It actually showed more texture and form than I expected it to.
Low Key
 |
| 1/45 F5.6 ISI400 40x1.6=64mm |
Original assignment has now been altered to say low key instead of high key.
I agree with the comments on the framing. I looked at the original image – I think it needs deleting as there is not enough space around it. Unfortunately the weather / lighting conditions during my revisit were not conducive to repeating this image.
 |
| Original 1/10 F16 ISO100 10x1.6=16mm |
I looked at the graffiti which had been etched into the darker areas of the concrete. I set the black and white point in levels and altered the slider bar to increase the dark tones. By increasing the yellow and blue tones within the image I was able to bring out the white writing and the area of wall which had been lit naturally. This made the graffiti stand out. When the image is magnified, the weathering marks from the rain running down the concrete are noticeable. I think this is acceptable, although not my favourite image. As the lighting conditions were completely natural and the day was overcast, I had to rely on small changes in the light for this image. It shows texture and tone.
Rear of House
 |
| 1/90 f8 ISO400 18x1.6=28.8mm |
My tutor had commented that the original image is taken at a rather odd angle. “You have some fall off caused by the very wide lens. A more straight on approach (if possible) would allow for the fall off happening evenly on either side of the building. The image may be better suited to a less wide lens. There shadows on the left hand side are dark (although detail can be seen and this further adds to the unbalanced feel of the image).”
The original angle of view was odd because the drive extended around the back of the house and past the church and the church’s flying buttress also protruding into the frame. As I had retaken the panorama to give a more straight on view, and was deleting the high key image, I decided to work on balancing the view with a using a wider angle lens and looking specifically at the balance within the frame. I cloned out the yew tree branches in order to balance the image and allow the eyes to wander into the image along the drive.
 |
| Original 1/10 F16 ISO100 10x1.6=16mm |
To process the image, I increased the red and yellow sliders and decreased the blue and green which brightened the house and brought out the detail and colours in the stonework.
I like this image which shows tone and volume.
High Key
 |
| 1/60 f4.5 ISO400 70x1.6=112mm |
This is one of the areas where I felt I had not succeeded, confirmed by my tutor. I revisited black and white images in the text books. Freeman (2009) states that “there usually needs to be some smaller, darker elements that are integral to the image.” This image has some dark elements that the eye is drawn towards up the column, and the darker grey lines also direct towards the top of the column.
 |
original
1/30 F16 ISO200 10x1.6=16mm
|
As the histogram was mainly to the right, I set the black and white points and used levels to alter the slider bar to the left to keep the mid tones values fairly high.
I think this image works because it shows form. If anything, the crop is too tight around the top because I rotated the image by 3 degrees to square it up.
The remaining images submitted in my assignment were acceptable.
Relief work through opening
Plaster
Down the corridor
“Here you have kept the detail in the interior by sacrificing the window at the end of the corridor. For me the puddle draws the eye down the corridor and provides a useful pause in the frame.” I was pleased with this image and the evaluation given as I had considered removing the puddle.
Through the Window
“This image works by keeping it very straight on and symmetrical in the framing. The image would probably have more power in colour, as a blue sky would really stand out through the pattern in the window. However the landscape does have good tonal range.”
To do:
- Add a research label to every post that includes research so it all shows up on the same page. (done Jan 2014)
- Retake beginning images for Assignment 3 (done Jan 2014)
- Reorganize assignment so that the evaluation is with each image. (done Jan 2014)
- (follow up work) Look at the work of British photographer Edwin Smith with Eugene Atget
- (preparation for assignment 4) (done Jan 2014)
digital manipulation:
Paul Smith
Andres Gursky
issues on real or fake:
Sian Bonnell
John Heartfield
Reference
Freeman, M (2009) The complete guide to black and white digital photography, Ilex Press, UK p162
Bibliography
Beardsworth, J (2012) Advanced digital black and white photography, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Freeman, M (2007) The photographer’s eye, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Freeman, M (2008) Mastering Digital Photography, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Freeman, M (2011) The digital SLR handbook, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Tutor Feedback
Overall Comments
It is clear that you are researching what makes a black and white image
and applying this to your evaluations.
At times your framing feels unbalanced and you may wish to pay attention
to this.
Feedback on
assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of
Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
The exterior
Here you have completed a panorama – which presents many technical
challenges. The brightness to one side
causes some issues – and when you are stitching images together you would try
to avoid such lighting conditions. The
verticals are corrected but the horizon could be straightened a little, as the
image feels unbalanced.
Columns
For this image the texture of the columns is bought out in the black and
white. I would consider going more
abstract and only shooting a partial section of the columns. If you experiment with using a longer lens
you can see how this compresses the distance which such a subject matter.
Single column
This image is more abstract and deserves to be viewed on a larger scale
as the eye is taken up the column.
Door scroll
Do amend your evaluation text to say low key rather than high key! An
interesting image but I would watch the framing as the top edge is very tight
on the scroll – a little more space around it would be more pleasing to the eye
(otherwise if you want to crop through something make it definite rather than
just clipping the edge).
Rear of House
This image is taken at a rather odd angle. You have some fall off caused by the very
wide lens. A more straight on approach
(if possible) would allow for the fall off happening evenly on either side of
the building. The image may be better
suited to a less wide lens. There shadows on the left hand side are dark
(although detail can be seen and this further adds to the unbalanced feel of the
image).
High Key
I agree with your comments on this image. If at all possible I would try for another
trip to the location and reshoot some of the images.
Relief work through opening
In this image the tonal values are controlled so that the difference can
be seen through the gap in the wall. The
angle of view is quite tight so a little more space around the hole may help.
Plaster
In this image – black and white really does come into its own. The use of tones enables the textures to be
captured really well. A good image well
done.
Down the corridor
Here you have kept the detail in the interior by sacrificing the window
at the end of the corridor. For me the
puddle draws the eye down the corridor and provides a useful pause in the
frame.
Through the Window
This image works by keeping it very straight on and symmetrical in the
framing. The image would probably have
more power in colour, as a blue sky would really stand out through the pattern
in the window. However the landscape
does have good tonal range.
Learning Logs
or Blogs/Critical essays
Context
Your blog is showing good
development. The reading list is really
evolving and do keep adding to the list of sources.
With regard to the labels
on the right hand side – can you add a tab for research and then tag any post
where you refer to your research.
I see that several of your
posts do have reference to research within them and it would be good to be able
to scroll through and see all the research you have done easily.
For the assignment it would
be better to have your evaluation with each image as scrolling up and down all
the time can get confusing and disorientating.
Suggested
reading/viewing
Context
I always think that the work of British
photographer Edwin Smith compares well with Eugene Atget.
Introduction
This assignment explores the creative process of monochrome; from deciding upon a suitable subject, photographing the subject taking account of the lighting / weather conditions and processing the image using software to bring out the form, tonal contrast, texture and if possible key of the image. To develop my understanding of the subject of monochrome, this assignment will investigate why I chose the particular subject, what I set out to achieve and how successful I think I was in my quest.
Having revisited the work of Edward Weston and Henri Cartier Bresson to look at monochrome, I thought I would use the opportunity to look an historic building as an interesting subject area. Following recommendation from my tutor as a starting point, I looked at the work of Bernd and Hilla Bercher. I remember seeing their work previously and being drawn to it from a straight forward, organised, representational and graphic style of photography. They showed the form of the buildings they photographed. I liked the fact that their images did not include movement or people – personally I thought their photographs were about the building and not about how people related to or with the building. I decided to include this piece of their style in this assignment.
Another photographer I was encouraged to research was Eugine Atget. I had heard of him but not studied his work. In my opinion everything seemed balanced, even if it was asymmetrical. His photographs always had somewhere for the viewers eyes to go, and on closer viewing found something you didn’t know was there immediately.
Berenice Abbott, when photographing New York in the 1930’s demonstrated use of tone and form, simplicity and few people on the streets. I like Abbot’s photograph of ““El” second and third avenue lines” taken between 1935-9 which shows patterns, lines, shadows and curves. In my opinion this image is very high in contrast and works because of the graphic nature and patterns of the image. I looked at using this type of image with Sutton Scarsdale Hall, and did not include it because I felt it did not fit with the rest of my images.
Why I chose this subject?
Considerations for this assignment were varied. I thought about a working model, pit head winding mechanisms, sculptures, pumping stations, cooling towers and historic buildings. I dismissed the model because there was no tonal colour, the pit head winding mechanism on access grounds, sculptures on tonal colour, pumping station on opening times and cooling towers on the fact that I was too late because it was demolished last year. This left me with historic buildings which would challenge me as I don’t have a tilt and shift lens.
Having researched images on the web of local historic houses with access and examined web sites for photographic policies, I recalled visiting a derelict house in the hands of English Heritage with access during the day and very few visitors. I had a few images which had been taken with a wide angle lens stored on an external hard drive so was able to experiment with black and white conversions and altering the perspective of the vertical columns on the house before my visit.
Sutton Scarsdale Hall, Derbyshire served a long history and has been rebuilt a few times since the 12th century. The last remodel was in 1724 when an architect named Smith incorporated his new Baroque style design into the existing 15th century house for the 4th Earl of Scarsdale. The stonework was carved by Edward Paynton of Nottingham and Italian stucco plasterwork for which the house became well known was detailed by Arturi and Vasalli. By 1919, the house was bought and the interior sold to asset strippers who rebuilt it as a film set in America. In 1946, to save the house from demolition, it was bought and later given to the Department of the Environment for preservation.
I decided that this would be a good subject to explore because I was excited by the classical columns and all three elements I needed for my assignment were present – form, texture and tones. There was a potential to experiment with key depending on the weather conditions.
What did I want to achieve?
I was hoping to show the grandeur and importance of the house in its previous life, but also how ethereal it looks now providing I could get it right. I considered revealing the remains of the inside decoration in high contrast so that the plaster detailing showed up brightly against the red bricks to portray the opulence that was once on show. The remains of the weathered classical columns and baroque style façade showed great texture, and the corridor style house revealed itself in skeleton with a series of archways providing volume. In all, I felt that this was a house waiting to be explored and offered potential especially with its melancholy feel and some of the images I found on the internet did not embody the atmosphere of the building. The limitation of this building was that some rooms were locked and images had to be taken through the railings.
The Rear Exterior
This image shows the rear of the house and gardens (previously formal) which extend to the ha-ha boundary and commands extensive views of the countryside and the neighboring castle at Bolsover.
 |
| 1/45 F16 ISO200 Focal length 18mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
The panorama was taken as a series of 3 images and amalgamated in Photoshop before converting to black and white. The verticals were straightened using lens distortion as a smart layer before cropping. The position of the sun was to my left hence the strong shadow across the grass although the building was mainly in sunlight. The countryside was very bright and I set the camera so that it would be overexposed to give a feeling of lightness / ghostliness to represent what once belonged to the landowners. I found that as I altered the black and white colour sliders, the house windows and grass became darker or lighter. To achieve this image I started with the preset high contrast red and increased the red, yellow and green values.
 |
| 1/350 F13 ISO200 32mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
Sutton Scarsdale Hall has 4 classical columns in the centre of the rear exterior. At the time of shooting they were in the sun, although did not remain in the sun for long.
What I aimed for was elegant, straight pillars which showed strength, texture and tones. I noticed that each stone which made up the pillar contained different tones. In colour, the sandstone looked warm, and I tried to recreate this by taking it with the sunlight on it. I also thought the sun would cast a shadow to help define each pillar rather than have baroque work in between distracting the viewer. I experimented with three and four columns and decided to leave number four in. The height made a difference to the elegance. To crop out the fourth looked like I lost height.
I spent time straightening this image because the curved shadow works like an optical illusion. After converting the image to black and white, I created a new adjustment layer for levels, set the black and white point and slid the level slider from 1 to 0.65 (towards the right). This darkened the shadows and made the columns stand out.
 |
| 1/250 F11 ISO100 18mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
By looking upwards I gained a different perspective on a singular column to show contrast in the weathered sandstone column and the smooth baroque exterior.
Using Photoshop, I straightened and cropped the image to ensure that maximum graphical impact was gained and converted the image to greyscale using a new adjustment layer. I adjusted the values of orange and yellow to give more contrast and decreased the blue slider to darken the blue sky.
 |
| 1/180 F16 ISO200 90mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
Using a carved stone block on the door surround I was able to take the photograph so that the histogram showed it was fairly low key. The technical challenge was not to overexpose the stonework because I wanted it to retain as much detail as possible.
I first converted this to black and white and brought out the detail by increasing the red, decreasing the yellow and increasing the green slightly, leaving blue cyan and magenta unchanged. I created a new adjustment layer for levels and set the black and white points (0 and 204 respectively) and slid the middle value to 0.43 which increased the black tones so the background became darker.
 |
| 1/10 F16 ISO100 10mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
When I took this image, the sun was casting a dappled shadow across the drive. I thought that the amount of detail in the shadow and house detracted from the image. In moving the sliders to decrease the contrast of the shadow, the drive became lighter and a small branch was visible which I had not noticed when I set the camera up on the tripod. I was able to manipulate the grass so it became lighter and the side of the church (which was in deep shadow) became visible.
 |
| 1/30 F16 ISO200 10mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
Having set the camera to overexpose this image, I knew it would be possible to turn it into a high key image and enhance ethereal qualities. I achieved this by using the levels slider. By setting the black and white points to 5 and 255 respectively, I decreased the contrast from 1 to 1.53 creating a luminous landscape and building where not everything is visible.
 |
| 1/350 F5.6 ISO400 70mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
The Interior
This piece of plasterwork was hidden inside a locked room and visible through a hole in the brickwork. I considered using the same method as above for bringing out the plasterwork but there was too much brick and my image was slightly underexposed. By increasing the exposure values in RAW by +0.5 and setting the black and white points I was able to slide the orange and yellow colours to enhance the brightness of the plasterwork and contrast the brickwork against it.
 |
| 1/60 F6.7 ISO400 70mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
I deliberately left the plaster on this wall as bright as possible because I thought it should be reminiscent of its former glory. Once again the technical challenge was the optical illusion created by the corner and vertical columns of the plaster. I left the archways in this image to add depth and volume to the skeleton. I was unable to achieve my desired effect with the colour sliders so converted the image to JPEG and with a new adjustment layer for curves, I increased the contrast to make an “S” curve.
 |
| 1/45 F8 ISO400 70mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
I aimed to show that this corridor ran through the house by distinguishing the different wall partitions as a series of arches. The concrete floor was different shades of green. After straightening and converting to black and white with a new adjustment layer I decreased the red and increased the yellow which lightened the path and added more highlights. I opened a new adjustment layer for curves and created an “S” curve.
 |
| 1/350 F16 ISO400 28mm (x1.6 crop factor) |
I poked my camera through the railings to enable me to take the view through the window. I considered lightening the brickwork but I thought it detracted from the image. Once cropped and straightened, I converted the image into greyscale using a new adjustment layer, then a new adjustment layer for levels and set the black and white points. By sliding the mid point to 0.85, the edge of the window became darker.
How successful do I think I was?
The three key areas I planned to show were texture (detail), volume (form) and tonal contrast and if possible, high or low key. Taking each individual image in turn, I looked at how successful each one was.
Image 1 Panorama
· Landscape shows volume.
· House is two dimensional which shows the shape
· House darker (but not too dark) and garden /countryside lighter suggests low contrast and subdued image which is synonymous with the cheerless feeling one feels when visiting the ruin.
I wanted my establishing shot to show space and loneliness. It could be improved by having a more interesting sky such as storm clouds. Freeman (2009) states “across a wide area, such as with a clear sky through a wide angled lens, any hint of banding is almost possible to remove.” One solution would be to take another sky and insert it as a layer because I could illustrate a representation of what I saw, which I am looking forward to exploring in part 4 of this course. I think this image worked but could be improved. I left it in because I was able to demonstrate my learning.
Image 2 Columns
· Texture of base of first column visible
· Form shown by using four columns which appear rounded
· Sun at fairly low angle (raking light) which shows off texture
· Graphic image
I think this image worked. It did not show tonal range. I could have lightened the colour of the grass but I decided to concentrate on texture and form. This image would not show texture and form so well if the light was diffused such as on an overcast day or taken with the building in shadow.
Image 3 Single Column
· Texture of gritty sandstone column shown by using raking light
· Form shown by selecting one column and picking out the detail.
· Graphic image using converging lines
I considered whether this image would look different without the shadows. I think they add interest. The texture would not show up as well on a cloudy day.
Image 4 Door Scroll
· High key
· Shows texture and form
· Strong shape although leaves the viewer guessing what it might be
I am pleased with this image and think it worked. There is a suggestion that the image is not two dimensional because the side is visible.
Image 5 Rear of House adjoining Church
· High contrast shows texture and form of house
· Distracting shadow eliminated from foreground
· Lightened grass shows more detail in shadow area
This image could be improved by taking on an overcast day which would even the lighting tones and create less shadow. I would expect the reflective surface of the puddle to become less distracting. I think this does work.
Image 6 High Key
This was an experiment to bring out the mysterious and luminous qualities of the building
· Shape shown as two dimensional image
· Texture decreased as brightness is increased which is what I expected
I consider this to be the least successful of my images. Banding has appeared in the sky which is distracting. Although the drive curves round and does join up with the house, it gets lost in the brightness. So I think the composition of this as a black and white image is not strong enough.
Image 7 Plaster
· Rich tone of brickwork contrasts with bright plaster work
· Volume shown with brickwork
· Form (detail) of three dimensional plasterwork visible
This image shows what I set out to achieve. I think it was successful.
Image 8 Relief work though opening
· Shows form (three dimensional shape visible through two dimensional shape)
· Contrast between brickwork and plaster
· No distracting shadows on relief work
I think this image works although I did consider creating more contrast between the bricks and plaster.
Image 9 Down the Corridor
· Volume shown with a slight change in tone for each room
· Lighting through windows and overhead enhanced brightness of corridor
· Graphic image
I deliberated whether to remove the puddle but it adds interest and shows that the house is not watertight. I was pleased with this image and thought it successful.
Image 10 Through the Window
· Volume shown in countryside
· Tonal contrast in countryside contrasts with the window
· Graphic image when window bars are used
I was pleased with this image and thought it successful.
Conclusion
This assignment investigated my creative process of monochrome; from deciding upon a suitable subject, photographing the subject taking account of the lighting / weather conditions and processing the image using software to bring out the form, tonal contrast, texture and if possible key of the image. I explained why I chose to illustrate this particular subject, explored how I achieved what I had set out achieve and what how successful I think I was in my quest.
Key learning points from assignment
As a starting point for monochrome, I have learnt what makes a good subject and what methods I can use to creatively process an image. I feel that I learnt a great deal from this assignment and am glad that I had spent time viewing monochrome photographs at the exhibitions I visited in the summer. I know that the next time I view digital monochromatic photographs I will have an appreciation for the composition and creative processes used. As this was an area relatively new to me, I have been able to look at the workflow I used previously and understand where perhaps I could alter my workflow so that the image was preserved rather than destructed.
Areas for further development
· Composition
I visited on a bright sunny day which is what I wanted for the columns and working in a dark, shadowy area using only natural lighting. I could revisit on a cloudy day and take a similar image to image 5 (rear of the house) and compare without the shadow. I could too, return on a day with clouds to achieve a different effect for image 1 (panorama)
· Continue working with monochrome to develop more of an intuition of what will work
· Continue developing creative processing skills
· Try out using 50mm lens for buildings
Reference
Freeman, M (2008) Mastering Digital Photography, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK p76
Bibliography
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/sutton-scarsdale-hall/history-and-research/ accessed 11/11/13
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/glossary/raking-light accessed 6/11/13
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/A/atget/atget_articles3.html accessed 6/11/13
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/bernd-becher-and-hilla-becher-718 accessed 6/11/13
http://www.americanphotomag.com/article/2011/11/instant-expert-bernd-and-hilla-becher accessed 6/11/13
http://suncalc.net (accessed 6/11/13)
Beardsworth, J (2012) Advanced digital black and white photography, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Cartier Bresson, H, (1996) The mind's eye, Aperture foundation, New York
Freeman, M (2007) The photographer’s eye, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Freeman, M (2008) Mastering Digital Photography, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Freeman, M (2011) The digital SLR handbook, Ilex Press, Lewes, UK
Heiting, M (2001) Edward Weston, Taschen, Italy
Williams, V (2012) What makes great photography 80masterpieces explained, Quintessence Editions Ltd, London, UK
Black and White Photography Issue 156 November 2013 GMC Publications Lewes, UK
Reflection – assess against course criteria
Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills – My research and analysis of my photos helped me develop visual awareness skills. By completing the exercises prior to the assignment, I developed an understanding of the technical skills required for creative processing in monochrome. There is much I can learn from this area and take forward to the next course.
Quality of outcome - I have increased my knowledge, and related what I have learnt to past images I have taken. I have presented this as coherently as possible so that it fits the assignment and also is useful for me to revisit when necessary. I have asked myself questions, read around the subject and previously visited exhibitions knowing that monochrome would be an area I would be studying, and relating what I see to my own work.
Demonstration of creativity – I thought about what I was going to take and how it may look once processed to enable me to use a variety of available methods. The photographs in my assignment include a variety of the methods learnt from the course exercises.
Context – I read widely around the subject of monochrome and what makes a good subject, looking at existing images to see if what I thought would work did work. I experimented with different creative techniques in processing and reflected on each photograph to see if I thought it worked.
No comments:
Post a Comment