photo project 2 response

In this project I chose to mimic the straight photographer Ansel Adams because of the drastic difference in composition from my typical style - an attempt to push my abilities so to say. I usually begin a photograph by getting as close to the subject as a can, going to the widest angle I can shoot at with the fastest aperture I can possibly use. From viewing the Adams photographs on display at the CCP, I noticed that most have perfectly straight lines, every tone from black to white, and do not rely on subject matter to be outstanding. I also learned that he commonly used colored filters to achieve a desired effect, which helped a lot when developing the pictures. While Adams would have advocated for no manipulation of the images, I do not own a film camera so I had to improvise in order to create images akin to a large format camera at an extremely small aperture. The use of HDR (a composition of two or more images taken at different exposure times to create an image more like that of the human eye (or not)) is usually associated with bright supersaturated and manipulated colors, but I have used it here to create a more natural image than would have been possible with my camera.

The main difference between my Adams-styled images and the real deal is that I still refuse to give up my 16 mm wide angle! I can't do perfectly straight lines and no vignetting it just does not appeal to me, so while I tried to actually use the fancy fancy zoom feature, I still prefer the shortest setting on my lens even for landscapes.

Photo Project 2

View from bottom of gates pass. HDR. Both images 16 mm f/22. complete tonal range. High contrast red filter used when color data removed. Nature, untouched and awesome. Simple composition, the impact is in the development instead of the content.

Another view from gates pass. HDR. 16 mm f/22. Broad range of tones. Interesting cloud formations.

view of Mission san xavier del bac. 85 MM F/36 HDR. Image does not contain any information beyond tonality. All that matters is that the bells are black, the wall has various shades of gray, and the sky is white. Exposure and development make the image what it is.

Mission san xavier from a far. 85 MM F/36 HDR. Every detail is sharp enough to cut you. Even in a relatively tonally dull photograph (light blue ->white-> yellow), full range is found in the transition to b&w. All small details necessary to capture the impact of the mission against the desert landscape are there. Dont mind the ghosts though, those are just tourists.

view of an old tree, north of the Santa catalina mountains. 85 MM F/36. Sharp distinction of the white-ness of the tree against the blue sky. every small branch is identifiable and clear.

view of the dirt road. panoramic photograph composed from several photographs at 16 MM F/8. Originally was not going to apply this type of post-editng to this composition but others did not have enough tonality so this image was used. as per previous images, not much content, image is all exposure and development

Composition

16 mm f/3.5 1/1250

16 mm f/3.5 1/1600

16 mm f/10 1/200

In exploring composition, I mainly tried to use the basketball court lines to direct attention. I shot using a wide angle, and framed the car near the edges of the frame. This makes the car apprear insignificant, yet the lines (both on the basketball court and in the background) draw attention toward it. The goal was to create an interesting image from basic elements. The final image is shot from above and includes the basketball hoop in order to draw attention through the object's placement.The long afternoon shadows create an area of darkness in an otherwise bright image and dramatize the object's location further.

Balance

50 mm f/5.3 1/400

85 mm f/10 1/125

16 mm f/3.5 1/1600

 With a vertically symmetrical object it is not difficult to explore balance. In a studio with controlled lighting. Since this shoot was mid afternoon, it was impossible to eliminate the "dark side of the photo" consumed with shadows. As a compromise, the first two images have a lot of contrast to emphasize the light/dark side of the photo.  The final photo is a more complex composition, that tonally balances the negative space in the foreground and the background. The car's shadow is almost a reflection of the silhouetted buildings/fences behind while the bright concrete is opposed with the large section of clouds. Dividing the space is the subject in the center, with two leading lines on each side (fence and building) to "draw your eyes through the photograph". As a whole, I feel this photograph is not about the subject specifically, but the entire composition. In that, the subject is everything that is captured in the frame.

Texture

35 mm f/4.8 1/1250

56 mm f/5.3 1/600

16 mm f/4.0 1/400

With such a multidimensional subject, there are infinite combinations of textures to exploit and explore. Since I had already decided to do the entire shoot in black and white I decided to focus upon textures that would provide a lot of depth without color. I looked for dramatic shadows, dramatic multi-patterned pieces and "worn in" wrinkles. Shooting without color also encouraged me to search for texture-absent images, creating the second image that is composed almost entirely from line alone.

Emphasis

65 mm f/5.6 1/60

56 mm f/5.3 1/25

16 mm f/3.5 1/1250

In exploring emphasis, I utilized two opposing techniques. In the first two photos, I used a long focal length and a short depth of field in close proximity to a particular feature. This prohibits the viewer from seeing anything outside of the desired subject, gives only a general sense of location, and forces attention to the small area of focus. On the final photo, a short focal length and long depth a field permit a large amount of information. In contrast to the other photos that only offered a glimpse of the entire subject, this image has the entire object within the frame. Three thing control the viewer's attention in this situation. Since the use of such a short focal length causes extreme distortion around the outer edges, the car was framed so that only the open engine bay remained undistorted. Then, the lines of the basketball court were aligned along the right-most third line and directed toward the engine bay. Lastly, the camera was aimed downward to remove most of the background from view.

photo perspectives

22 mm f/10 1/200

22 mm f/10 1/320

16 mm f/10 1/160

85 mm f/5.6 1/800

16 mm f/3.5 1/1600

34 mm f/4.8 1/1600

25 mm f/4.2 1/1600

16 mm f/4.0 1/125

16 mm f/3.5 1/1600