Project - Lines

Exercise 23 - Multiple points

For this still life I decided to use some of my musical instrument miniatures to create a tenuous stage set. 

For a backdrop I used my electric mandolin. 

For the lighting I used two led lights with white card as reflectors. 

The camera was tripod mounted in aperture priority, with minimum aperture.

The background uses red fabric from my light tent kit with the mandolin on its side. I chose the mandolin because of its size which shows off the curves better than a larger instrument.

The drum kit is the first piece to be placed. I felt this needed to be placed centrally.

Next to be positioned was the amber / silver acoustic guitar. This was placed slightly off centre and towards the front, to give some balance to the image.

The Toledo steel guitar was next with its main body placed centrally – the amber guitar was moved to the right to maintain balance.

A banjo was placed next – as it is larger scale than the previous pieces I placed this to the back. To maintain a balance the Toledo steel guitar has been reversed.

The balance still wasn’t right, so I introduced a second banjo on the opposite side of the drums.

The electric guitar / mandolin section arrive next. The amber guitar has been moved to the left to maintain the image balance. I think the arrangement has now gone far enough. The next addition has made the group too cluttered for my liking.

 So this last image will be ignored. I’ve included it merely to make the point about going too far.

This is a reminder of what colour looks like!!

The next part asks for a sketch – so here goes:

The sketch without the relationships of interactions and shapes

This shows the interactions and shapes formed in the final image.

 

Photoshop sketches better than I do and it’s easier to show the interacting points:

This one is easier to put the relationships and shapes on too.

Relationships changed as the image evolved, but in the final picture the relationships occur between the banjos; the mandolin round hole and the bass drum; the bass drum and the two banjos; the amber guitar and the small mandolin; and the Toledo steel and two electric guitars. These relationships all relate to the balance of the image, apart from those related to the bass drum, which are also related by their circular shape.

 Shapes that appear in the image are:

Triangle between the mandolin hole and two banjo drums; 

Almost rectangle, but definitely a trapezium with the banjo necks; 

a trapezium with the parallel lines of the mandolin and Toledo steel guitar necks.

Exercise 22 - The relationship between points

For the first two images in this exercise I’ve taken views of Whitby. Again, I’ve converted the images to monochrome.

The first was taken at the top of the 199 steps and shows Caedmon’s Cross and an old gravestone.

 

The two obvious points in the image are the cross and the gravestone in the foreground.

While the cross is positioned further back than the gravestone, I thought at first that it was the dominant point in the image. It has more attractive detail and takes up a larger part of the frame, but the initial interest in the detail on the cross fades after a while and the attention is drawn by the inscription on the gravestone – who was Edward Pennock anyway? What else is written there? Look at the erosion on the stonework! Even though it’s smaller in the frame, the gravestone is an important part of the image and draws the attention away from the cross, to become the dominant point in the image.

 

This image was taken later in the day when the tourists are out for their sea trips. I used the lens at 200 mm to create this image, which should shorten the perspective, but in this case the positioning of the points has retained it.

 

The two main points are the boat and the lighthouse. I feel in this case that the boat is more dominant. The eye keeps getting drawn to the figures at the top of the lighthouse, but it’s still the boat which seems more significant.

The lighthouse and pier provide a sense of place and help to show the movement of the boat as it heads towards the sea. This impression is aided by the higher contrast in the foreground and the more pastel tones in the distance as the heat of the day creates a haze.

For the third image of this exercise I commandeered a grandson for a close up shot. 

 

I find this image quite unsettling. Knowing that he’s got such a mild temperament, the symmetry of this image makes him look haunted and almost distressed, which wasn’t the case at the time. The picture is staring out at me, which makes it hard to look at for long – definitely not one for the family album.

 

It’s a framing which may have a lot of potential with the Goths when they arrive in October, but for most people it’s not one flattering and not one for general use.

 

So the positioning of different points in the frame is very important, to make a balanced, comfortable image.

Exercise 21 - Positioning a point

The following images of a lily were taken with a 150 mm macro lens at f/2.8, to reduce the depth of field and so isolate the point, which in each case is the tip of the stigma. Each image was converted to Black and White monochrome.

 

Stigma placed centrally

This positioning really does very little for the image. It could have been enhanced by reducing the lens aperture to give a better depth of field, which would bring the stamen into focus, and by producing the image in colour, but that would defeat the object of the exercise. With more detail in the image and taken from a little further away there could be some symmetry with the stamen surrounding the stigma. As it stands, I think the image is uninteresting.

Stigma placed off-centre

This positioning is much better than the previous one. The stigma is 1/3 down from the top of the image and slightly to the left. The stamens are now showing more and their orientation gives a lead towards the right of the picture. Now there’s more life to the image and the stigma seems to be reaching out more.

 

 Stigma placed near the edge.

With this view there’s a feeling of movement as the stigma seems to be heading towards the right of the image – and beyond. This is exaggerated by the shapes of the stamens as they point and lean in that direction. It appears that some speed is involved with almost a race to the outside of the flower. It’s worth noting that the tip of the stigma is contained in an area approximately 1/3 across and 1/3 down the image.

So positioning the point is important for the feeling and import of the image. The comments of the preceding 12 selected images also testify to this.

Project - Points

 

In preparation for Exercise 1, here’s a list of situations where photographs could be made to clearly show a point:

• Isolated buildings in farmland / on the moors / on the cliffs / on the shore
• Isolated farm animals / farmers / tractors / haystacks in fields or on the moors
• Groups of hikers / cyclists – these could be positioned on the moors or various trails where they could become the point in a landscape.
• Outcrops of rock / standing stones / crosses – these can be in isolated positions in the moor land.
• Individuals on the beach – bathers, walkers, anglers, photographers, kite flyers
• Surfers – could be positioned in the frame to make them a point in the surf.
• Boats at sea – lots of scope here with various types of pleasure craft as well as commercial boats.
• Large breaking waves
• Hot air balloons – could be isolated against the sky, or landscape depending on the situation.
• Aeroplanes / Helicopters / Hang gliders – lots of scope to isolate them against the sky or landscape
• Waterfalls can be positioned to make them the point in a landscape.
• Single trees or small copses in large fields
• The moon, isolated against the sky or above a landscape. Also the sun in some conditions and with filters / bracketing. Even clouds could become points.
• On days when there are moving clouds the spots of sunlight on a landscape can be used to emphasise features.
• Neon lights  or street lights in dark conditions
• Piercings / jewellery / hairstyles can become the point in a portrait (if you’re not careful – or if your are!)
• Flowers can be used in many situations – stigma / stamen isolated within the petals (Macro / close up filters would be good for this); Different shapes / colour in the rest of the garden; a bunch of hand held flowers could become the point of an image.
• Macro lenses used to isolate many objects, due to the narrow depth of field.
• Wild birds on the river or in the harbour (particularly herons, cormorants, swans, seagulls) – They tend to be solitary in their feeding, perching habits.
• Single windows on a building, doors, doorknockers

The list could be endless. Let’s face it there are opportunities all around us for this exercise.

The following collection of previously taken photographs has all been converted to B&W as suggested. In most cases the colour version was much more pleasing:

 

Tulip stigma taken using macro

With the stigma positioned off centre vertically and horizontally the image seems to have greater depth and causes the viewer to look at it more closely.

 Sunset – underexposed and using tone mapping

In this image the sun is placed centrally in the horizontal plane, with the horizon on the thirds. This has given a strong line of reflection which leads the eye into the distance. The headlands also sit nicely on the thirds.

 Rosedale Chimney seat

 The seat is positioned at the edge of the picture, both horizontally and vertically. By using this position the viewer looks at the vista which can be seen from the seat, so appreciates its position better.

 Light painted tree (viewed from Rosedale Chimney seat)

The tree is lit by the sun as it shines through a gap in the clouds, so this point is accentuated not only by its position but by the lighting. Again, positioning it off centre in both planes gives it a good relative place in the landscape, allowing the eye to take in the other details in the view – the farm track, sheep and lines of the hedges.

 Misty morning cormorant

The bird is positioned to the left in the image, not only to present the tree it sits on, but to show what it’s looking at. Again, its position in the scheme of things – its place in the world are shown by this positioning in the frame. If it were positioned centrally, the morning mist wouldn’t have been so obvious, or the bird may have looked smaller.

Walking the beach

Positioning the walkers in the corner of the image shows the viewer that they are not only on a deserted beach, but that they have further to travel and much more to yet enjoy. What a breath of fresh air!

 Whitby misty morning

The main point of this image is obviously the abbey, which draws the attention immediately. It’s positioned to the top of the image which gives the impression of distance. This is accentuated by the trees, pylons and buildings as they appear through the mist. Positioning the abbey more centrally in the frame would have spoiled this perspective and possibly cut off the line of receding pylons.

 Harbour reflection gull

 The kittiwake was positioned off centre in the frame, initially to capture the reflections in the water beyond, but the eye is still drawn to the bird with the interest in the reflections being a secondary diversion.

 Kalanchoe taken using macro and 4 x close up filter

 The main rosette of this tiny flower really draws the attention. If it were centrally positioned it just wouldn’t have the same impact. The restricted depth of field of the macro lens also helps to emphasize the point in this image, as the surroundings are softly out of focus. The hint of other blooms tells of its association with the rest of the plant.

 Backlit snowdrop

Positioning this flower off centre allows the out of focus blooms in the rest of the image to provide a sense of place and distance, while maintaining a tight focus and lighting on the main point of the picture.

 Beach Gull

The gull is obviously the main point in this image, accentuated by the sunlight which isolates the bird from its darker surroundings. Its position in the frame provides a feeling of place and tranquillity as the bird takes in the rays of the sun at the end of the day. 

 Gone to seed

This point is only suggested. The centre of attention is drawn by the converging lines of clematis, so the point in this case is out of focus compared to the lines which suggest it. Again, positioning this suggested point off centre gives more interest and leads the eye better.