Welcome to the 17th entry.
This weeks pdf is based on a quiz that I gave my students in the week. The 15 questions range from very easy to difficult but as they are multiple guess, sorry I mean choice, eliminate the obvious wrong answers and you may surprise yourself with how much you know.
Nicholas Brewer
Nicholas Brewer
This weeks photographs were taken in a disused building that is being developed in the near future. There is a whole movement out there photographing distressed buildings and having much fun in the process. 28 days later is a popular website used by urban explorers to discuss ideas and share information. Thankfully I was able to gain access to the building with the permission of the developer although I did have to sign a disclaimer stating that any injury incurred during my time was my responsibility. Somehow this felt like cheating.... Many images taken by urban explorers are given the H.D.R. (High Dynamic Range) treatment and is a perfect subject for this type of post production. In the near future I will dedicate a blog to H.D.R.
Time Lapse
I have included a longer time lapse 'film' that gives a better idea of what is possible although I do not like it as much as the first one.
I have never taken a picture I've intended. They're always better or worse. Diane Arbus
I am no longer a time-lapse virgin. You can watch below.
It was fun but did test my patience.The process is much slower than still photography and there are new skills needed. Watching the movement of the shadow at the bottom left of the image was exciting and felt an important step forward in my work. The shadow is cast by a pole supporting a CCTV camera and acts like a sun dial. A sense of time slowly revealed by the camera.The clouds roll smoothly enough but are tame and lack any real interest. The whole thing is to short and I will shoot some more frames later. It is fun to learn new things. If you have a good DSLR you can easily make your own. As stills and moving image cameras continue to merge it is good experience to understand the difference.
Today a student asked who my favorite photographer was. It does depend on my mood. I replied, Cartier-Bresson, who thankfully he had heard of. It was good to get the new photographers talking about a classic photographer. Spreading the Cartier-Bresson message requires constant effort and I am pleased to supply it.
The image above is a photograph of his house.
Henri Cartier-Bresson
This photograph in Italy is from Cartier-Bresson's book 'Europeans.'
Did you notice where this black and white photograph was taken? Look at the colour photograph again, can you see the steps going to Cartier-Bressons front door to the left of the frame?
"Many people who excel are self-taught."Herb Ritts.
I wanted to show you the photograph below. I had forgotten how beautiful it was until I saw it again recently. On his first time of seeing it Henri Cartier-Bresson said, "I couldn't believe that such a thing could be caught on camera, so I grabbed my Leica and went out into the street." In 1952, he published'The Decisive Moment' in which he wrote: 'It is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as a precise organisation of forms, which give that event its proper expression'.
Martin Munkacsi
Martin Munkacsi's easy image is such a fine example of life giving us pictures. 'The precise organisation of forms' so aptly described is still as important today as it was in 1931 when the photograph was taken. This is probably the first of its kind and is a reference point for many when looking at this type of picture. Many photographers have taken similar pictures to this but this was the impulse for many.
Photographic inspiration takes all forms from film to surrealist art.
As photographers we have seen images that filled us with a sense of awe and amazement. This photograph inspired one of the greatest documentray photographers ever and I hope you like it.
What is White Balance?
The pdf below explains what white balance is and how you can improve your photographs by understanding it. The important thing to remember is that a pure white does not exist. If you are photographing a white plate on a white table cloth you will notice there is a difference in the tone between the two. If you are lighting this with daylight as the brightness of the sun changes so does the colour reflected down the lens. This shift in colour is caused by the 'White Balance.'
The tutorial is on how to improve composition and give images depth and a ‘wow’ factor.
The ‘Rule of Thirds’ rule should not be over used. Your work will become boring otherwise. Composition structure is a skill worth acquiring and your work will benefit as a result but only at certain times.
I have used Henri Cartier-Bresson's image from the "Europeans" as I wanted to share this quirky imagefrom one of the great masters. I trust that you will like it. It lends itself perfectly to the rule of 3. I bought a book by Magnum photographer Donovan Wylie called "Losing Ground." Powerful photographs of gypsies during the nineties. The book has been around for a longtime however it is the first time that I have seen it. Amazing photographs.
"And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible" said Richard Avedon
