Planning Stage
For this project, the overall concept was very broad so I didn’t really know where was best to start. I did start off firstly by listing possible topics- which included topics such as moving cars and trains, animals/birds/insects either stationary or moving and landscapes such as countryside, deserted and urbanised land.
I also decided to come up with the possible techniques that I could use for these topics. For example, using the slow shutter/long exposure setting would work well in a busy street or road, also the technique of panning would work really well with any moving transport or animals/birds/insects. I have also decided to try another, technically difficult technique of free-lensing. This technique will work best in dimly-lit areas with a stationary target, be that a person or building.
Even if all of these techniques don’t work out as well as I thought they would, I will still post my work on here explaining this, discussing what my next move will be.
Photo-walk
Last week, my unit went out on a photography walk in order for us to get used to our cameras and to also learn how to do specific techniques correctly and safely. The first technique that I learnt to do was free-lensing. This is where you pre-focus and zoom the lens, then detach it, hold it close and take the picture. I will attach some of the photos from the walk where I used free-lensing as it did create a very good and interesting effect.
I also learnt how to use the slow shutter/long exposure technique. This then creates the effect of blurring out anything that’s moving and keeping something that’s stationary (a person eg) in focus. I have also attached some of my images using this technique, some did come out better than others, but then that’s the point in experimenting, so then when I do it again in future, the images will turn out better and better.
The last technique I tried to do was the panning technique. This is when you follow a subject, which ends up in creating an image where the moving subject is in focus and al of the background imagery is blurred. This technique didn’t work out as well due to the lack of quickly moving objects.
Research
As the experimental project has quite a wide range of possible categories- I have decided to focus my initial research on 3 possible options: Reflections, Free-lensing and Water. This is due to me being interested in these three topics- not only for researching- but I will produce my own tester images for these categories.
Sam Hurd- Freelensing
Sam Hurd is a Washington photographer who mainly specialises in Weddings. However he has discussed his techniques and results when freelensing on his website and it will give me some very helpful tips when experimenting with freelancing. Here are some of his examples:
Daniel Kukla- Reflections
Daniel Kukla is a New York photographer who specialises in both natural and personal photography. However, I am most interested in his work at the Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, where he uses a mirror along with an easel to create stunning images (shown on his website). Although I am interested in using mirrors, I do not have a National Park at my disposal, only normal parks and forests which are both good possible locations.
Ray Collins- Water
Ray Collins is one of the best photographers of water in the modern era. His work has been showcased and endorsed by giant corporations such as Apple, Nikon and National Geographic. His work makes the challenge of capturing moving water look effortless. As shown by these images from his website.
Fireworks
This time, I experimented with my own camera (Nikon B500 16MP 40x Zoom Bridge Camera) rather than the Universities own Nikon D5600 DSLR, with the 18-55mm Lens. As it was fireworks night, I decided to try and do some experimenting with light. My camera has a ‘fireworks’ setting which creates very interesting images that look like the light has been painted onto the photograph.
I have attached some photographs of the best ones that came out, which were quite a few. Not all of my pictures featured fireworks though, due to me discovering that you can use the firework setting to create painted light with any light source- such as Christmas lights, or city lights.
Although some of the pictures didn’t turn out as great as I was expecting, I probably will pursue this experimental idea further.
More Experimental
Whilst over the Christmas break, I decided to go for a walk around Bristol with my Canon bridge camera and take photos relating to the experimental brief. As I was unable to borrow a DSLR from the University as I was home for Christmas, so I couldn’t use the techniques of free-lensing and slow shutter speed/ low ISO as my camera is unable to adjust these settings and remove the lense. However these images could be used more for the editing process- such as using Photoshop- to create some experimental images perhaps relating to reflections/light.
Even though some of these images are out of focus/blurry, I wanted to include them because it shows not only my good images, but my bad ones as well as it will then allow me to not make these mistakes again or to check thoroughly before I take the actual photograph.
However I will be using the DSLR cameras when I return to University so I can photograph places using techniques such as free-lensing and slow shutter-speeds.
Brighton
Whilst over the christmas holidays, I decided to go and explore and photograph an entirely new place. This was due to me wanting to find unique and stylish places, so I decided to go to Brighton.
As it was over the Christmas break, I was unable to borrow a DSLR from the university, so instead I had to use my own, which is a Canon Bridge camera so it doesn’t perform as well as the DSLR would have. Nevertheless, I managed to get some really good photographs (mainly focussing around the topic of structure and textures) as not only was the weather good, but Brighton has some old and new places to visit.
Editing
As I do not have photoshop or any other professional editing software on my laptop, I have been on the search for a effective free editing app or website. I came across PhotoScape X, which is available free for both Windows and IOS, which then allows me to just edit any photo any time. This is the photo I decided to start off with as it already has good qualities to it, it just needs something that makes it unique.
I started off by changing the simple settings such as brightness and contrast as I wanted to bring out the details and the shadowing in the water as much as possible. Even though this is a very simple adjustment, it does help to improve the detailing in the photo immensely.
Next I moved on to customising some of the more in-depth settings along with adding a filter. I began by adjusting the 'sharpen' settings as, similar to previous editing techniques, I wanted to define the details in the waves as much as possible. After also adjusting some of the auto-level settings (to help balance out the colours, so it doesn't look too grainy), I decided to add a coloured filter. First I simply changed the photograph into greyscale, however I found this made the photo look boring. So I then tried out the filter called 'Bandicoot', which gives a duller sepia effect, making the photograph look more retro and vintage. I decided that this filter worked best as it gave the image a special look and feel to it compared to that of other, more duller filters.
Photo-walk 6/2/18
Today we went on a photo-walk to Old Portsmouth- specifically to the Land Rover BAR building as it features numerous backgrounds such as boating yards, docks and industrial warehouses. In these images I wanted to try and capture structure mixed with elements of reflection and water. Also some of these photos were taken using the free-lensing technique, however as it was quite sunny, these shots did not turn out as well as I would've hoped for.
Venezia!
Earlier in the week, I spent 5 lovely days in Venice taking pictures for my experimental brief. I decided it would be best to narrow down my focus on taking pictures of aspects relating to water- such as freezing motion and reflection, also along with general images relating to these topics. Below I have sectioned off the images into specific categories relating to my chosen focus (water/close ups etc). When taking these photos, I didn't use any fancy filters or effects- the only slight change I used was adjusting the ISO when the sun was too bright.
Water
Freezing Motion
Reflections
General
Freezing Motion
Misc
I decided to split the images up into seperate categories as it is then easier to navigate through them and there possible use. In my opinion my favourite category is both the freezing motion general and water-based as I love taking action shots of objects and liquids.
Chosen Experimental Titles
I have finally decided what my 3 chosen experiments will be based on what I find interesting when taking photos and some new techniques that I have also learnt this year. My first chosen experiment is free-lensing, this is because, even though I am relatively new at this technique, I enjoy experimenting with it, and some of my tester images turned out really good. My second experiment that I will be doing is long-exposure, more specifically using light to create abstract shapes and lines. My previous photos that I created using this technique have come out very well so I am keen to start editing them to create a final image. Lastly, my third experiment is freezing motion as I have always enjoyed taking photos of the world frozen on the spot. I have taken freezing motion shots of both liquids and people/animals, based on these photos I am thinking more towards the animal frozen images rather than liquid as the detail captured on the image is amazing. However I will be editing these images to see what the best final outcome will be.
Edits
These are some edits relating to my final 3 experimental categories- free-lensing, freezing motion and long exposure. I have decided to try editing the images in both black and white and colour as I want them to look professional and not over-edited. I am not necessarily looking for all 3 images to match in each category, eg editing them all in black and white.
This is the original version of the long-exposure image I have chosen to edit. This was taken on my Nikon D5600 DSLR, with the 18-55mm Lens, and it is a long-exposed picture of a firework. This image is one of my favourites as the firework looks like it has bolts of lightening coming out of it, which was in fact bits of firework falling to the ground. I am not sure whether or not to keep this image in colour or to edit it in black and white, so I did both below.
I started off in Adobe Photoshop by editing the different colours in the image. This then allowed me to bring out the specific detail in the reds and oranges which makes it look even more like lightening than to start with. I also dimmed the background light as to help bring out the long-exposure light even more, which ended up making the photo look more detailed than to start with.
Like I stated previously, I wasn't sure whether or not to edit this photograph in colour or turn it black and white. I decided to try and edit it in black and white to see what it would come out like. Overall, I like this image better in black and white as it really makes the light pop out of the image. I was also able to, when applying the black and white filter, edit the seperate colours found in the image. For example, by editing the orange and reds, it brought out the light more from the background compared to some parts fading into the black background.
This was the final image after all of the editing but I feel that there's still something missing. So I decided to try and crop certain parts of this image to bring out specific details within the image. These are my different crop results and its a shame than I can only produce one image for the experiment as I believe that they look really good presented as a trio instead of solo. However, since I do have to choose just one image, my personal preference is the third one due to the different types of captured light featured, such as bolts and feather-like light.
Next, I will be moving onto the edits of my freezing motion pictures both of animals and liquid as I am still not 100% sure which one to feature as an experiment. My first image is this one here of a bird mid-flight, which also happens to be my favourite image throughout the whole of the freezing motion photographs. This is because I managed to capture the detail within the birds wings and face.
I started off editing this image by cropping any unnecessary background, which then helps to focus more on the bird. I also adjusted the shadows, highlights, white and black colours in the image as to bring out more detail within the bird.
I knew even before I started editing this image that I wanted it to be black and white due to the amount of neutral detail that is featured within the original photograph. After changing it to black and white, I then adjusted the clarity setting which allows me to bring out more minute detail within the feathers and face. Also by adjusting the vibrance and saturation settings, I avoided the photo turning gritty due to over-editing.
As you can see from this screenshot I didn't make much adjustment when using the curves editing tool as the image then looked over-contrasted and grainy. Although it was a tiny edit, it still made the image all that more detailed and professional looking.
This is the final outcome of the image and overall I am very happy with how this has turned out. For example, the way that the light hits the tail feathers and wings makes the image pop even more. Similarly, the way that some parts are shadowed, yet still visible, makes the image not be too bright.
This is the next image that I decided to edit as it follows on from the previous image. Although it is not my favourite image, I decided to see what it would look like once it was edited.
I started off editing this image by cropping it down to just featuring the action-frozen bird. I also decided to change and adjust the contrast settings just to help bring out the details before editing into black and white.
I then moved onto adding the black and white effect onto the photograph. I started off by adjusting the black and white levels in the image, which resulted in the definition of the wings being brought out. I then moved onto editing the vibrance and clarity to top off that definition and detail of the bird and the light hitting the wings.
Next I moved onto adjusting the selective colours in the image, however as this image didn't contain many colours apart from neutrals, I was only able to adjust the amount of black in the white, neutrals and black colours in the image, which is what brought out the final details.
This was the final outcome of this image, and overall I am very pleased with it as I believe it has turned out better than I originally expected. The detail in the wings and body came out looking magnificent, although I still believe that the first freezing motion picture is better, this is still a strong contender.
This is the final freezing motion image that I will be editing, this time relating to the liquid side of things. this photo was taking whilst sat on the waters edge in Venice, as boats went by the water would become more and more rougher. This then gave me the opportunity to capture lots of freezing motion water-related images. Overall I believe that this was my strongest image which is why I chose to edit this one in partucalr
I started off by cropping the original image so it would then focus more on the water that had been frozen in time. Also by the way I was focussing the camera, the water was the only part that was focussed so it seemed pointless keeping the out-of-focus parts in th image.
I then moved onto adjusting the photo levels. For example, by adjusting the contrast and brightness, I was able to brighten up the image and bring out more vibrant colours. I also changed the white and black levels within the image as it then brought out the minute detail within the water, allowing us to see the small bubbles within the water. I finally adjusted the clarity as this then enhanced the water without making it turn fuzzy and grainy due to over-editing.
My final editing technique was to use the secretive colour tool to bring out the detail in certain colours. As for my previous images being in black and white, this tool did not work as well or show up as much, which is why I wanted to keep this image in colour due to the fact that there are lots of different colours featured ranging from bright, sparkling white to deep blue. By selecting to adjust specifically the blues in the image, I was able to bring out the detail not only in the water splash, but in the background water.
This is the final outcome of this image and overall I am very happy with how it turned out. This is due to it not only being aesthetically appealing, but by also being different from any of my other images. However, even though this is a strong contender, I believe that the previous two images are stronger than this one so I will most likely not be using this image. Although I am not using this image, I am still happy that I decided to edit it as it helped me make that final decision.
I am next moving onto editing some free-lensing images. With these images, I have no set concept for them, eg keeping them in colour or changing them into black and white. So I have decided to go for editing them in both ways as it will then help me to make a final decision as to whether or not they'll be in colour or black and white.
I started off the editing process by cropping this image to focus on the more detailed free-lensing aspect of the picture.
I then moved onto using the selective colour tool to adjust the amount and detail of certain colours within the image. For example, I tried to bring out the light and dark blues within the image as it then brings out the more minute details within the grill. Also I adjusted the whites, blacks, highlights and low-lights as the image then became more detailed and eye-catching, especially once the clarity setting was adjusted slightly.
As I wasn't sure of whether or not to change this image into black and white instead of colour, I decided to do this anyway as it would then help me to make a decision regarding my final images. By using the black and white adjustment tool, I could then select and change specific colours within the image. For example, as there was lots of light and dark blues in the original image, I decided to change these ever so slightly as I didn't want the image to look over-edited, which I believe it didn't.
I finished off the black and white editing stage by using the selective colour tool to help bring out just a bit more details and shadows within the image. However, once finished, I did prefer the image in colour rather than black and white as it looks more interesting and vibrant, whereas I think the black and white makes it look rather boring.
This is the final outcome of the image and overall I am very happy with it because of the amount of detail shown in the image by keeping it in colour instead of editing in into black and white. Overall, this is my favourite free-lensing photograph, however I will be editing another as to clarify my opinion.
This is the next free-lensing photograph that I will be editing, although it is not my favourite, I still want to edit it and give it a chance to be a contender for the final photograph.
I am going to edit this image in a similar way to the previous image as I want to see the comparison between the two in order for my to choose my final image to represent the free-lensing title. I began by cropping the image so it then puts focus on the details in the photograph.
I started off by editing the highlights and shadows to help bring out the light bouncing off of the tripod and the detail withing the camera strap. I also adjusted the clarity setting to help further bring out these specific details. I then moved onto using the selective colour tool to bring out the details within certain colours. For example, as similar to the previous image, this image contained lots of light and dark blues so I thought that it would be best for me to start there. Once finished, in my opinion, this image came out really well considering that the original image wasn't my favourite free-lensing photograph.
Similar to the previous photograph, I am also going to try and edit this in black and white to see what it would look like by using the black and white tool. This then enables me to edit and adjust any single colour in the image, but changing it in black and white. However, once this image was finished, I still think this one looks better in colour so I have decided that either one of my free-lensing photographs will be in colour rather than black and white. This is due to the images looking boring once they were changed to black and white as all of the vibrancy and saturation were removed.
This is the finalised image and overall I am very happy with it. I believe that this one, however, is still the weaker image so I will be using the first image to represent the free-lensing title. Although, once edited, this image became better but it was still the first image that had the advantage.
