I’ve decided to go for the Flowers and Plants option for this assignment. I’m using the plants themselves for the various effects, rather than shaped beds or displays. The plants themselves provide so much interest, without their manufactured displays. The images were taken in the Eden Project and Heligan Gardens, our own garden and in the local forests.
I’ll work through the various effects from top to bottom.
Single Point dominating the composition:
Taken in Sneaton forest using a macro lens, this violet has been isolated from the background by the differences in light (the flower being in bright sunlight while the rest of the image is in shade) and by the shallow depth of field provided by the macro lens. By having this dominance the flower really takes centre stage.
Two Points dominating:
Also taken in Sneaton forest, the heads of this Campion have been similarly isolated by using the macro lens and backlit sunlight. With two flower heads sharing the dominance the image has a much softer feel. The softly focused and sunlit background allows more interest but the eye still returns to the two flowers.
This image of asters in our garden has used infrared with a converted Nikon D70. The two flowers are separated from the rest of the foliage due to the heat from the sun, while the rest of the foliage is in relatively cool shade. While this image demonstrates the effectiveness of having two main points, it also has the traits of ‘diagonal’ and almost ‘triangular’ effects.
Using several points in a deliberate shape:
Back in Sneaton forest, this dandelion head shows the individual seed heads which make up the overall ball shape. The shallow depth of field of the macro lens has again concentrated the eye on the sharper seed heads, but the overall shape is still very much a part of the image.
This South African Protea, taken in the Eden project, shows the different petals and individual florets of the flower head. I like the complementary colours in this image.
Combination of vertical and horizontal lines:
Taken in The Lost Gardens of Heligan this lattice of leaves shows the advantage of shooting into the sun. I like the silver lining of the leaves and the horizontal shadows across the vertical leaves. Pinpricks of light have produced a pleasing bokeh effect in the background. While there is no definite point of focus in this image, the lattice effect is sufficient to make it work – there are points of interest in many areas of the image.
Diagonals:
This is another image from the Eden Project. Shooting into the sun again, the lateral veins of this palm leaf provide wonderful lines – almost vertical in the lower half and angled in the upper. The strong central diagonal plays the dominant role in the image and is the main point of focus. I like the range of greens produced by the sunlight and shadows of other leaves.
Curves:
Back home again to the conservatory where I’ve again used the macro lens, but with an additional 4x magnifying filter attached. The curve is a quadrant of the centre of a gazania flower head. This central part of this can be seen to have many florets with male and female attributes. The close up detail shows the pollen on the outer pink petals. I think it’s the curve of white and yellow florets that makes this image and also the complementary pink and green of the petals and centre.
Distinct Shapes:
These alliums taken at the Eden Project provide an image which is dominated by the spherical shapes which draw the eye into the distance. The purple flower heads blend well with the blue carpet of borage. Highlights in the distance again form pleasing bokeh points.
Back home again and these forget-me-not flowers show their distinct identical shapes when a macro lens is used. I considered using this in the ‘pattern’ category, but the regularity of the individual flowers appealed to me for the ‘shape’ element.
Implied triangles:
Another image taken at the Eden Project and again shooting into the sun. The radiating lines of this leaf imply a triangle with its point at the bottom. Although there is no defined ‘base’ to the triangle, the central framing leaves no doubt that the shape is there. The back lighting has accentuated the lines in the leaf and caused this vibrant olive green hue.
This implied triangle with its apex at the top has been produced using an ultra-wide angle lens (10 mm focal length). Taken in Sneaton forest the lens distortion has bent the trees towards the centre. I chose these trees carefully, wanting to use their straightness and height to create this view.
Rhythm:
The detail of this borage, seen at Eden Project is an example of rhythm in an image. The regular line of buds seems to march towards the viewer as if they’re moving towards their destiny of opening into flowers, which is borne out by the flower at the tip of the stem. The movement is enhanced by the move from the blur in the background to the sharp focus in the foreground. The image also benefits from the strong diagonal route of the buds.
Back home again and this crocosmia again displays rhythm. In contrast to the previous image the flowers have opened from the stem first, while those towards the tip have still to open. The regular line of the flowers and buds, coupled with the change from background blur to foreground sharpness all help to show the rhythm in the image. I think the complementary reds and greens give this image that extra ‘zing’.
Pattern:
The regularity of the leaf shapes in this fuchsia are an example of pattern. I included the immature leaves in this composition, to give better points of interest, but the main element is the leaf pattern. Again complementary colours help this image.
This section of the course seems to have had a lot more in it. I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
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