Pt 2, Exercise 4 Horizontal and Vertical Lines

This would be easy, or so I thought.  There are many lines around us, so getting 4 images of horizontal and vertical lines would be no trouble at all, but then I started thinking.  I wanted interesting, different & unusual things in my pictures.  Suddenly things got more difficult.

As usual, all the images can be seen full size of Flickr, in this set.

Anyway, I shall start with some of the things that didn't work.

This Photo certainly has lines in it, but are they horizontal or vertical?  Well, they are kind of both, it's a very recognisable scene and one that we know has horizontal lines, but they are not horizontal here.  There are vertical and diagonal lines here, and I don't think it works anyway.  There isn't really a point of interest.

I had high hopes for this next photograph.  It's an extreme macro shot of a record.  It's extreme because I used a 50mm Macro lens and 3 extension tubes to really get in close to the grooves.  The result is certainly different, and when viewed full size, certainly has some interesting effects, but the dominant effect is not of the horizontal lines.  There's not quite enough detail for that.

This is a photo taken in the middle of a large clump of Bamboo growing in a local wood.  I dare say it's quite unusual to find Bamboo growing in the wild in the UK, so thinking of vertical lines, I thrust the camera into the middle of the bamboo and took some shots.  It's certainly a bit different, but lacks something.  There isn't really a focal point that the viewer is drawn to.  Another one that didn't quite work.

So, onto the pictures that I was happier with.

Vertical Lines 1, 1/125, 200mm, f/22

Vertical lines 1 shows a row of double poles supporting power lines.  The relatively long lens shortens the distance from the nearest to the furthest poles and makes for quite a striking feature.  I elected to use Black and White and push the contrast a bit to make the poles stand out more against a fairly cluttered background.  The vertical lines are the dominant feature ad draw the viewer from near to far.

Vertical Lines 2, 1/125, 80mm, f/22

Vertical Lines 2 depicts a corrugated roof on the side of a public house.  The original image features more of the painted sign and some clutter from a nearby road sign, so I cropped fairly tightly on the corrugation and used Black and White again.  The strong shadows and dirt really bring out the vertical lines strongly and become dominant.  There is enough of the painted sign on the wall to give some additional interest, but the photograph real is mainly about the lines the roof make.

Vertical Lines 3, 1/30, 50mm (+ extension tubes), f/22

Vertical Lines 3 is another Black and White image, but this time so was the subject - a newspaper.  The extremely close shot shows the detail of the fibres in the paper and upon it, the clearly defined ink.  The two L's provide the dominance and vertical lines.  There is a tension in the image as we don't know what it's from.  I deliberately cropped so that only two more letters are visible and give no real clue as to their context.  the viewer is left wondering what the word is.  The texture of the paper also adds to an air of wonder as it's not really that evident what we are looking at.

50mm, 1/500 f/9

Vertical Lines 4 depicts an apple tree seen through a garden chair.  The vertical lines are strong and dominate the image.  The grain of the wood adds texture to the image, providing more interest.  The image was tweaked in Aperture through curve adjustments.

Horizontal Lines 1, 1/60, 500mm, f/22

Horizontal Lines 1 is a common sight, but one that is fleeting and transient in nature.  Using a very long lens, I captured a passing aircraft and the contrails it left behind.  The image was cropped to accentuate the horizontal contrails and I made some slight adjustment to the curves to deepen the sky and bring out the white vapour.  The image was tricky to capture as the aircraft was a very long way away and moved through the viewfinder at a very rapid rate.  I'm happy with the result though.  the horizontal lines are dominant and the eye is drawn right to the source of the lines.

Horizontal Lines 2, 1/25, 32mm, f/22

I wasn't sure about Horizontal Lines 2 as it has a lot of lines in it, but it does give a strong impression of horizontal.  The top of the bench lines up with the horizon reinforcing the point.  The remainder of the bench does curve round into the vertical, but somehow they all come across as horizontal to me looking at the image.  Again, black and white seemed to suit this best, partly due to the lack of contrast in the colour image.  Curves were tweaked to emphasise the dark edges to the lines.

34mm, 1/40, f/4.2

Horizontal Lines 3 is of some old carved stone steps next to a railway.  The treads of the steps provide the primary focus of the image and hence, horizontal lines are dominant.  The leaves add colour and the vertical gap between the steps adds a contrasting vertical line, however this does not detract from the dominance of the horizontal lines.

55mm, 1/250, f/8

Horizontal Lines 4 - is a common site, yellow lines on a road.  The tight framing creates an abstract image, which is clearly all about the horizontal lines.  I purposely chose a worn road so the there would be plenty of texture to enhance the image.  The relatively low autumn sun creates strong shadows in the surface of the road adding contrast to what could easily have been a very grey looking picture.  Adjustments were made to the image to bring out the contrast a little more.

The Moon Tonight

The moon was quite striking tonight, so a chance for some quick shots to be taken before it dissapeared behind the clouds that are sure to come.

I haven't altered the image except for a crop, it really was this colour!

1/200, 500mm, f6.3

 Original image can be seen on my Flickr pages

Pt 2, Exercise 3 Multiple Points

"With several points the relationships are not so predictable." Says the exercise.

Well, it wasn't kidding, it took me a while to get my head round this, but once I'd worked out what I think is needed, I started to think about subjects.  I didn't want to do rocks & pebbles as that's in the course notes, and decided I wanted to do something more industrial, with hard metal surfaces.  I reasoned that these would work well in black and white.  Some rooting around in the garage saw me return with a handful of objects to build a scene with which to site my points, which are a collection of steel nuts.

Multiple Points 1, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The first image has a nut placed next to the ruler.  Positioning the nut in the open space looked odd to me and deliberately positioned, but in a haphazard way.

Multiple Points 2, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

Multiple Points 2 adds another nut near to the adjustable spanner.  There is a clear line between the two and the eye is drawn from the lower to the higher point.  The proximity of the jaws of the adjustable spanner add some context to the positioning.

Multiple Points 3, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The addition of a larger 3rd point gives the image a definate shape, one that reminds me of a reclined car seat.

Multiple Points 4, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The fourth point adds some balance.  The shape is similar to a see-saw and the larger nut is closer to the centre than the small nut, giving the impression of equilibrium.

Multiple Points 5, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The 5th point makes a trio of points, which has now become dominant, with two incidental satellite points either side.

Multiple Points 6, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

Another point has introduced a distinct curve.  There is a suggestion of order, but the overall arrangement is still abstract, but the curve is pleasing to the eye

Multiple Points 7, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

Another point and a slight rearrangement gives the points a new relationship.  The two groups are seemingly interacting, despite being unbalanced.

Multiple Points 8, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The addition of an 8th point, linking the two groups together had a dramatic effect.  The points now look like a horse or a camel!  This was not intentional, but I decided to shoot it and add it to the sequence to show how much an image could change with just a single small change.  The addition of this point has left a somewhat comedic image, time to make a change!

Multiple Points 9, 50mm, 1/160, f6.3

The final arrangement has two clusters of points.  The image has a symmetry, and it looks like the smaller cluster has detached from the main cluster.  The gap between the clusters adds interest and draws the eye down and to the right.  The red lines in the picture below, show the symmetrical relationship between the two clusters.  The green lines show how lines are converged on the mid point of the smaller cluster which draws the eye.

There are two shapes formed in the final arrangement as shown below.  These are complementary and space between them ties them together as well.  Although the shapes are clearly quite different, there is a degree of symmetry as well.

Pt 2, Exercise 2, The Relationship Between Points

Work in progress - to be completed

Pt 2, Exercise 1, Positioning Points

Points.  I have to admit, I found the text in the course notes somewhat confusing at first and images of multiple points in the middle of text about single points was a bit puzzling!

Anyway, The first subject is a football on grass with a reasonably long shadow.  I reasoned that the shadow was going to be a key element in this photo and it's length and direction in relation to the photo as a whole would dramatically change the feel of the image.

Above are 8 of the photos I took, each with a different position in the frame and/or angle.  All of the images, although showing a static ball on grass give a suggestion of movement due to the long shadow.  I don't feel the images where the ball is positioned near the top of the frame work as it gives the impression that the ball is floating and just looks, in my eyes, wrong.  This is also true where the subject is mid frame as well.  Where the ball is towards the bottom of the frame, there is more belief in the reality of the scene as it seems more 'traditional'.  Of the three images with the ball in the lower part of the frame, the one with the shadow pointing towards the viewer is the least effective.  The one that works best for me is the one where there the edge of the lawn is visible in the top right of the frame.  This lends some symmetry to the image and enables the viewer to interpret the scene more than the others.

The next subjects are spiders.  They seem to have exploded in numbers this year and there are lots of Common Orb spiders in the garden.

1/80, 50mm, f10

The first image Urban Spider 1, shows the subject in the lower right of the frame.  A moderately wide aperture has blurred the background, but left enough detail, though indistinct, for the viewer to interpret the wider scene.  The subject is clearly the spider as it stand out well from the background, even though it is reasonably small in the frame.  I was careful to make sure that the web is just visible, giving more depth to the image and provides extra references to draw the viewer into the subject.  The drainpipe in the background, whilst would normally be a distraction, I feel adds to this picture as it changes a plain wall into a more domestic setting.  The point that the spider makes works well in this picture, the eye is drawn to the spider and the the rest of the picture appears to fade out.


The next two pictures are of another spider, again on a web, but this time captured with a portrait orientation.

1/25, f10, 50mm

1/25, f10, 50mm

Both of the images can be seen in this Flickr set.
The images are both very similar, and there is little to choose between them.  Both draw the viewers eye in well via the web leading the eye towards the spider.  The picture with the spider lower in the frame is the one I prefer, but this is more to do with the pattern of the web and the background than the placement of the point.  With this in mind, I cropped the image to remove the background distractions.

The cropped image works well.  The spider is the only focal point and the structure of the web accentuates this.  The image looks right as well, with the spider low down and on the underside of the web.  Whilst researching the spiders that I photographed, I found out that spiders always use the underside of a web, which is why this image works - it looks right, because it is right.  When I experimented with rotating the image, it just looked wrong.
The lower right positioning adds to the feeling of suspension.

Pt1, Assignment - Contrasts

I found this assignment quite tricky to complete, partly because it took much longer than I anticipated and partly because I approached it think it 'wouldn't be too difficult'.  In the process of completing the assignment I took over 200 photos, many of which were somewhat experimental.  Some worked, some didn't, but all taught me something.

All the images for this assignment can be seen full size in this set on Flickr

High / Low

High/Low High, f/16, 1/80, 24mm

The high image is of a historic radar tower that was originally erected during the 2nd World War are formed part of the 'Home Chain' radar defences.  This photos was taken early in the day so that the sun was low and it lit the scene from a low angle.  This emphasised the height of the subject by illuminating the lower parts, especially the trees to the right.  The gentle sweep of the structure skywards emphasised the height too.

High/Low Low, f/13, 1/640, 500mm

For the contrasting low photograph, I've used this picture of the sun setting, viewed from Whitstable which I took on a holiday there.  A very long lens was used to give the sun a larger presence in the frame and the black ground at the bottom of the picture gives a good reference to the lowness of the sun in the sky.


Hard / Soft

Hard/Soft Hard, f/4.5, 1/320, 44mm

The Hard image shows a garden ornament sitting on a rock.  The hardness of the rock is clear to see and the fairy also is clearly a hard object .  This is evident by the distinct edges and deep shadowing that show up the detail of the subject.  From this we can clearly see that the object to not soft in any way.

Hard/Soft Soft, f/8, 1/50, 50mm

The soft image is of our cat's paws.  I took this with a macro lens so that I could emphasise the detail of the fur.  This together with the pink pad on the bottom of the paw really convey the softness of the subject.  As you can imagine, an animal will not pose for a photo, so many pictures were taken.  I chose this one as there was plenty of detail that brought out the softness of the subject and because the paws being crossed made for a much more interesting photograph.


Many / Few

Many/Few Many, f/16, 1/60, 50mm

The photo I took to represent many is of a cluster of recent hatched spiders that I found on our wheelie bin.  A macro lens was used to get a close shot of the spiders, but as a consequence there is little depth.  The image certainly conveys the theme of 'many' and I believe it is interesting as a casual glance would leave the viewer intrigued as to what the subject was.

Many/Few Few, f/4.5, 1/320, 44mm

For the contrasting 'few' image, I've used 3 old horse shoes.  By turning the camera round and shooting from an unconventional angle, the horseshoes almost appear to be defying gravity.  I also physically separated the most decayed shoe, whilst deliberately connected the others.  This suggests a connection between the joined items and isolation of the third


Liquid / Solid

Liquid/Solid Liquid, f/5, 1/320, 75mm

This liquid shot shows water falling in front of a Magnolia.  To capture the image I pre focused in front of the background at the spot where I was going to pour the water.  To get a 'sheet' of falling water, I used a rectangular container and tipped the water out carefully.  The resultant image captures the fluidity of the water as it falls.

Liquid/Solid Solid, f/10, 1/125, 200mm

For the contrasting Solid, I froze some water, then smashed it to create chunks to photograph.  The sharp edges of the ice clearly demonstrate that it is a solid and as it is clearly frozen water, contrasts well with the very fluid liquid image.

Black /White

Black/White Black, f3.2, 1/50, 50mm

After quite a lot of searching, I used what was right in front of me for the Black image - my camera.  I set this up on a tripod in front of a mirror an manually focused on the tip of the lens I was using.  The timer setting was used to take the photo so that no fingers would detract from the blackness of the camera.  The bright border emphasises the black too.  The image was also reversed in Photoshop so that the lettering is the correct way round for the viewer.

Black/White White, f4, 1/320, 50mm - Lensbaby lens

For the contrasting white image, I took this picture of a book using a Lensbaby lens.  The lens tilts, throwing large areas out of focus and introducing blur to the image.  This blurs much of the greys in the book and really brings out the emphasis on the whiteness of the pages

Rough / Smooth

Rough/Smooth Rough, f/6.3, 1/640, 50mm

The Rough image is of bricks, which are instantly recognisable as rough.  I also includes an ornamental lizard made of rusting metal to add another element of roughness and give the image some interest.

Rough/Smooth Smooth, f/6.3, 1/2, 50mm

The contrasting smooth image is of an ornamental mouse.  This has a smooth metallic finish and to add another dimension to the photo I positioned a lantern close by to give some interesting reflections and emphasise the smoothness.  The long exposure without flash adds warmth to the image.

Heavy / Light

Heavy/Light Heavy, f/20, 1/80, 50mm

The heaviness of the hammer is enhanced by placing it on a soft pillow.  We all know a hammer is heavy, but if it was on a hard surface, we would rely on our assumption that it is heavy rather than any direct visual clues.  The weight can be clearly seen by the way in which the hammer is pushing down into the soft pillow

Heavy/Light Light, f/20, 1/160, 200mm

The light contrast to the heavy image is of a windsock.  We can see that the object must be light as it is clear that wind is supporting the windsock and there are no other supports.  By isolating the windsock and it's pole from the surroundings (it's actually on top of a sports hall), we have a very simply, clear image.  The straightness of the pole give a good reference to the position of the windsock itself and hence it's lightness


Straight / Curved

Straight/Curved Straight, f/14, 1/60, 50mm

I chose to photograph the strings and neck of a guitar, the parallel lines of the strings graphically showing their straightness.

Straight/Curved Curved, f/4, 1/250, 10mm

The contrasting curved image is of some stairs underneath a road.  Although there are straight lines in the picture, the spiral curing of the stairs is dominant.  By removing colour, a more industrial feel is given to the image and shows good contrasts, enhancing the curve.


Contrasts in one image - Continuous & Intermittent

Continuous and Intermittent f/11, 1/60, 135mm

This is an image of a construction to for small boats and canoes to bypass a weir. It consists of a series of rollers, which provide the intermittent aspect to the picture.  This contrasts to the straight, continuous edges.  Additionally, the intermittent rollers, become continuous by repetition.  The use of black and white works well as the subject is falling into disrepair and lends itself to a monochrome image

This assignment was quite a task to complete, but has been time well spent.  Contrasts can be so easily overlooked or assumed and this has encouraged me to look more closely at them for future photography

Pt 1, Ex 9 Cropping

This exercise proved far more difficult and time consuming than I imagined.  I had difficulty choosing photographs top crop and looking through my images, it became apparent that I mostly take tightly framed photos, even thought I have a 10-20mm wide angle lens.

Wells Next The Sea Pre Crop.jpg, 85mm, 1/320, f7.1

The first photograph I chose for cropping is of a sunset at Wells-Next-The-Sea in Norfolk.  Although the clouds and sky colour are dramatic, I feel that the water is slightly distracting.

For the cropping, I removed areas A and C to include only 3 masts on the boats.  This added some balance to the image.  Area B was removed as it contained the distracting water, that made the lower portion of the photo appear cold and in contrast with the sunset.  Finally area D removed much of the sky, leaving only the most interesting area, emphasising the bright, sunlit edges, of the clouds.

The resultant image is dramatically different to the original, looking more vibrant and has a greater impact with a narrower range of colour.  Despite no enhancements being made to the image between original and the cropped version, there appears to be greater contrast in the image.

Snowdon Pre Crop.jpg  26mm, f9.0, 1/320

The next image was taken on Yr Wyddfa, more commonly known as Snowdon during a family holiday.  As it stands, its an average 'snapshot' with no particular thought given to framing.

Cropping removed large parts of the foreground (A) and the slope (B) top the right of the image.  These were not particularly interesting and dominated the image.  The path was also eliminated in the foreground, despite leading the eye towards the figures.  Finally, some of the sky (C) was removed.

The cropped image is greatly changed.  The foreground and rising ground to the right dominated the original, but after cropping the image is transformed to be all about the view into the distance.  The figures are clearly taking in the sight before them.  There is only the merest hint of mountain behind or to the right now.

Duxford Spring Air Show Pre Crop.jpg  270mm, f6.3, 1/2000

This photo was taken at an air show at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford in Cambridgeshire and shows some people working on a vintage aeroplane before it's participation in the show.  The photo itself is somewhat cluttered, although it clear what is happening.  In hindsight, it would probably have been better to bring the view back slightly if the aircraft, etc were to be included to the degree that they were as it doesn't quite work as it stands.

Cropping enabled me to really focus on the people in the photograph.  Area A was discarded as it was very 'busy', but did not contain enough of object in that area for the viewer to define what they were, and abstract imaging was not the aim of the image.  Area B contained a grey overcast sky that added nothing to the overall image.  Removing area C brought the crop tight into the people.

The final image is again quite different to the original and conveys the image that I had originally considered when taking the photograph.  I feel that this turns a casual photograph into something that has a more photo journalistic feel to it.  The image is now firmly about the people and what they are doing.  There are no distractions for the viewer to consider and the story conveyed is now clear.

Although there are only 3 images to show for the time spent on this exercise, it has been time well spent.  It will encourage me to think of how different the final image will be when composing a shot if I look at the picture within the picture.

Reviewing this post, I'm quite stunned at how different the cropped images are to the originals.