Winter Transition - 19-11-17 (Shoot 6)

Winter Transition - 19-11-17 

Photographer Research - Adam Burton 

       This shoot was inspired by Adam Burton and his winter images. When looking at some of his work I liked how his use of light reflected the time of year the images were taken, the soft, dull colours show the viewer it's the winter season. I especially liked his use of foreground interest, which is something I have tried to incorporate into my own work. The first image shows a dock, acting as a leading line into the main area of the image. I really liked this idea as its not just only foreground interest, it's also adding to the image making the composure very interesting. What I liked about the second image is the bare, frosty tree in the foreground. Again this is an indicator to which season it is, the detail that Burton has managed to pick up on it is amazing and really sets the image apart to the rest. I hope to achieve this level of detail in branched in my own work. 

Contact Sheets 

Best Images - (Edited) 

Images Requiring Improvement 

       My aim for this photograph was to have the wooden planks appear as a leading line into the branches. As this was taken from a low angle it was very hard for me to see in the viewfinder accurately, therefore I had to take the image based on judgement. I feel that for the image to look better I need to be further back so that the wooden planks occupy the majority of the bottom two thirds, therefore looking more like a leading line. I also recognise that the wood is slightly out of focus as the camera is focusing on the branches. Ideally I would need a higher aperture of F22 in order to have a wide depth of field. 

       This photo is also one that requires improvement due to the darkness of majority of the image. I believe the way this photo was taken there was only light hitting the top trunk on the image, this is evident due to it being the only bit that is well lit. The rest of the image is underexposed therefore isn't seen in as much detail as I wanted it to be. Therefore if I was to take this image again I would try to change my camera settings in oder to get every bit in correct exposure or I would take the photo from another angles that the natural light hits it different. 

AO1 - Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding. 

       The photographer that influenced this shoot was Adam Burton. I decided to use his work as he focuses mainly on landscape, some of which are wintery scenes which is where my work is heading. I think the main aspect that drew me to his work is his use of composition, I really like the interesting layouts he uses in his work to either draw you in or make you focus on one area in particular. Some of the images use the rule of thirds which I tried to do in my work. I tried to place the main subject just off centre therefore using the rule of thirds to add interest. I also tried to use interesting leading lines in my image the same way Burton does in his work. 

AO2 - Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops. 

       As discovered in my last shoot I am shooting in NEF file setting. This helps me to pick up a lot more detail in my work which is useful when it comes to the editing process as I am able to edit without loosing this detail. Therefore, I continued this technique into this shoot as I think it has enhanced my work. Settings wise, I decided to keep my ISO100 and aperture at F22 for the most part. Although in this shoot I started to introduce some closer up images that required a smaller aperture, therefore it varied slightly. I think these camera settings work best when I am shooting as it ensures that I have a wide depth of field and no unwanted noise. It makes my photos the best quality it can be in most situations. To use these settings I usually require a longer shutter speed, consequently requiring a tripod to ensure there is no blur. 

       When editing my images as I shoot them as NEF files I am able to add an extra step in Photoshop, one that allows me to edit the highlights and shadows, whites and blacks of the image much more precisely. 

       Step 1 - As you can see above, when opening my NEF file into Photoshop this is what is brought up. This is an added step that only NEF files can be edited in showing the advantages in shooting in this way. As you can see I mainly focused on increasing the contrast, whites and highlights as the image was relatively dark to start off with. When I was happy with these adjustments I decided to open it into photoshop. 

       Step 2 - When opened in Photoshop I decided to use curves to increase the contrast further. By bringing down the line slightly it made the splashes in the puddle stand out a bit more however it also made the edges of the image darker which I didn't really want therefore I decided to use he 'Dodge tool' in order to lighten the edges to bring back the detail as the finished result shows below. 

AO3 - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress. 

      These two images link together in the sense that they both have a leading line. This photograph was inspired by Adam Burton's as I enjoyed the way he used a bring or dock type object to lead the viewer into the image. His work is almost directly central however mine is just off centre as I wanted to include the roof of the house in the background. I believe both images link as the composition is similar and the focus of the image is the same, both images have the horizon almost directly in the middle of the image, typical of a landscape image. 

 

      Although composure wise these picture aren't the same, they do have similarities in the indications of winter. Both of the photographs have trees with bare branches that look intricate in detail, indicating the coming of winter. I liked this image by Adam Burton when I was researching his work, when I saw this is knew I wanted to incorporate something similar into my own work using the branches that the leaves had fallen from. I really like this image of mine as I think it shows a very aesthetically pleasing side of winter similar to what Adam Burtons work does. 

AO4 - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

      I believe that this shoot has really started to show what my project is about, it shows the coming of winter as the seasons are changing, the early indicators of the transition which is what I am trying to document. I think the quality of my work is improving and these are some of the best images that I have created both practically and editing wise. I hope to carry this quality on throughout the rest of my project.