Assignment 5: Illustration and narrative

This set of photographs describes a visit to witness the after effects of severe flooding to the small village of Muchelney in Somerset. The village had been cut off for weeks, many had left their homes to wait for the floods to subside. This has been recorded with a reportive approach, leading the viewer along the journey into the village via the only route available to the far side where the road ends in deep water.

The flooding of Muchelney

cover 

The remaining road in

Many Bridges were overcome by high water

Water subsiding to reveal the in road finally clear after weeks

Streams and tributaries burst their banks

This entrance to the village hasn't been clear for weeks

Cars still unmoved as the water subsides

The weight of water took down older blockwork

An Orchard beside a family house under 4 feet of water

This end of the village lay abandoned

The other end, remains completely cut off, boats only

Evidence of an action

The action here, is death, or perhaps the aftermath of an attack of Cat on Blackbird.

As I approached this exercise I remember the same morning discovering this poor thing dead in the garden and it immediately occurred that the scene is clear evidence of action.

The scattering of feathers represent the struggle, the wound to the chest the damage and the closed eye and raised feet, the end. Later that day I noticed her mate, a male jet black bird hanging around the garden probably looking for his partner. These tiny struggles have an impact and the added thought that this death was unnecessary makes us reflect on similar needless losses in our own, human world.

f5.6, ISO 100, 1/10sec at 50mm 

A day shooting at Kew Gardens

You might recall I won a day at Kew shooting to test the new Panasonic Micro four thirds set of cameras and lenses. An optical excellence day.

The day consisted of a relaxed walk around Kew shooting what we liked. Then a short teaching session on using diffused light in macro photography. Finished off with filmed interviews which went on to be featured in Which Digital Camera online and Panasonic's advertising.

Well here are a few shots front he day, taken with the test cameras.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Exhibition

Exhibition visit - Bristol Museum

I attended the exhibition of the winners and finalists of Wildlife Photographer of the Year in Bristol today.

View the finalists and winners here: WPOTY


My first impression was one of wonder, of course. The lengths that many of the photographers had gone to produce some of the images was worthy of prize in itself. A mixture of vista and macro from flock to insect, most in bold colour lead the viewer to ponder over the vastness and diversity of the planet much of which most of us will never see.

Two images in particular appealed to me, neither were the winners yet both captivated me and the attraction in both was the same. It was about facial expressions, expression of fear in one case and lost hope in the other. These two photographs have are editorial in their essence but what moves me are the human like expressions on the faces of animals, it is not human faces that tell us the stories here.


The first, this image by Jabrusen titled Primal Fear

It is the expression the young Baboon, fearful and confused by its capture and offering. Surrounded by the faces of those we might usually associate with the same emotions.  I feel quite sad to view this, there children are offering the baby Yellow Baboon for sale, for their own gain, survival for survival.


The second by Melisa Lee titled The tourist Tiger trail

In this case we have the solemn expression of the captured Tiger, the majesty has left him he is reduced to novelty, reduced to 'cute' though he is far from it. A beast so powerful it could tear each and everyone one of his admirers apart in minutes yet he walks in what appears to be shame, leading his own cubs he once so hoped would admire him. That is the story this image tells me.

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year
24 November 2012 – 17 February 2013
Free entry, £2 donations

Symbols

Symbols

Give examples of 'symbols' for the following subjects.

Growth


seed, hair, bones, forest,



Excess

fat, flood, money, buckets



Crime

handcuffs, bars, badge, mask, gloves



Silence

finger to lips, library


Poverty

dirty childs face, broken shoes, upturned hand

softening the light

Here we demonstrate the benefits of diffusing artificial light. I set up a simple still life, I chose an object that had some shiny surface and a good combination of curve and straight to emphasise the way the light plays.

The first frame here is lit using a mixture of subtle natural light from a room during an overcast day. I also set a speed light shooting from above camera right at 45 degrees. We can see that this shot is well exposed, maybe slightly over exposed. We note bright reflected highlights to the head of the dale and a hard shadow falling behind the object. It is a fine image in its own right nothing particularly wrong with it but the light is hard and some aesthetic effect is lost by the bright hard presentation of the object.

50mm, f5.6, 1/125, ISO 200 - Bare single speed light 

The same shot, same camera settings. I simply covered the light modifier with a fabric diffuser. 

I note a better exposure, softer shadows and the highlight catch points have softer less harsh highlights. The Image is simply more controlled and pleasing. The absence of hard shadow reduces distraction.

50mm, f5.6, 1/125, ISO 200 - Diffused single speed light 

Differing effects of Natural Light

For the purpose of this exercise I took several photographs of the same area of greenery within the garden in different light conditions. 

Below I have presented two of these for discussion. The first taken around 8AM on a dark, overcast day between rain showers. The second, again at 8AM but this time on a bright sunny Summer morning. 

The differences are immediately obvious, the main differences are;

• Contrast, the overcast shot is dull, lifeless but very evenly lit. The sunny shot has more depth from a stronger contrast between shadows and highlights. 
• Colour, again the overcast shot has pale reds, almost pink and the greens are more yellow with little punch. The sunny shot is more saturated, deep and varied reds and the greens follow that with darker, fuller green tipped with brighter yellow highlights.