Tuesday 12th February 2013
(Realised I am not using blog correctly. Just found the PDF on how to use WordPress for OCA so have started to add the relevant categories to my blog. I will then covert this blog to correct categories.)
I really liked this photo from “The Times” today. Great street photo and of obvious interest to my wife who is an aficionado of patchwork. More interesting for having the people in the shot walking by. The toughness of the tank and the softness of the patchwork.
There is balance in the photo too:
“Two unequal objects can be balanced by placing them carefully in the frame so that the larger object is closer to the centre and the smaller one nearer the edge of the frame” – course notes page 52.
I read the article on the OCA website about photography meets textiles which seemed very appropriate to this photo.
http://www.weareoca.com/fine_art/photography-meets-textiles/
Also discovered useful guide on “colour”
http://oca-student.com/sites/default/files/Basic_colour_theory_photog.pdf
Sunday 10th February 2013
Preparing photos of Wendy’s patchwork and quilting for webpage. It would be good to say that my reading about “family of angles” had helped my photographs but I had taken them before!
Friday 8th February 2013
Started reading Barnbaum, Bruce The Art of Photography An Approach to Personal Expression 1994 5th edition updated October 2012
He talks about the need for enthusiasm – “ask what you are drawn to, what intrigues you”. Here’s my list as I see it now:
Sport
Travel
Buildings (particularly cathedrals), statues and public art (fountains etc)
Drama, music concerts, art exhibitions
Street photos/ people watching
Nature
Landscapes
Gardens
I am sure I will add to this but wonder if I should be refining it?
Also he touches on “expressing your own point of view”. Much of my professional work is reporting on the life of the school. I feel even my sports photos have a touch of photo reportage – how the game develops, showing surroundings (interesting backgrounds/ shots of the school and of the people watching).
Thursday 7th February 2013
Completed Michael Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye. A very inspiring book, interesting throughout and very accessible. My first serious photography book, certainly more fulfilling than loads of photography magazine articles. I read the Kindle version which was a bit frustrating as I imagine images much better in printed version. I want to find out more about Cartier-Besson, Ansel Adams and Robert Doisneau. Disappointed to read that the famous Kiss was posed – see interesting article from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Doisneau#Le_baiser_de_l.27h.C3.B4tel_de_ville_.28The_Kiss.29
Photo taken at Maintenon on trip to Giverny – included for relevancy not quality of shot! I wouldn’t have attempted the shot of the chateau from here but could see that the couple were about to embrace!
Wednesday 6th February 2013
Read 2 articles on exposure:
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value#EV_as_an_indicator_of_camera_settings
The “sunny f/16 ” rule seems very helpful “On a bright, sunny day, the correct exposure for any subject is f/16 at the shutter speed nearest to the reciprocal of the film speed” -ISO 100, 1/125 and f/16. He says the rule is based on incident light – light falling in the subject not reflected light. Having read the Fred Parker article I make a vow to use manual settings more often. Not always easy with my professional work where I am afraid of not getting the shot, however with shooting in RAW I have always got a chance of recovering. I am convinced I won’t get better as a photographer unless I do use manual more readily.
Sunday 3rd February 2013
Prepared website where I can post blogs, logs of OCA work and photographic archive.
Live but still under construction
Friday 1st February 2013
Reading:
Freeman, Michael (2011) The photographer’s eye
Color in photography. The color wheel explained – YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qQ9hAP1LM
Nov 2, 2011 – Uploaded by MarleneHielema
Color basics in photography.
Hover over the wheel to view colours.
Try clicking two colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel to see what might work in photographs.
http://www.martinbaileyphotography.com/colourwheel.php
Exploring Color Photography
http://www.annedarlingphotography.com/exploring-color-photography.html
Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel form pairs called …
Thursday 31st January 2013
Reading:
Freeman, Michael (2011) The photographer’s eye
Hunter Biver Fuqua (2012) Light – science and magic
Clarke, Graham (1997) The photograph
Wednesday 30th January 2013
- Received OCA student pack.
- Read study booklets
- Produced student profile and emailed to tutor.
Reading:
Freeman, Michael (2011) The photographer’s eye
Hunter Biver Fuqua (2012) Light – science and magic
Clarke, Graham (1997) The photograph
“Hard-edged shadows are characteristically produced by small light sources” Hunter Biver Fuqua
In this photo I failed to use a diffuser (which would have given a wider light source) and the resulting photo had hard-edged shadow
Monday 28th January 2013
Enrolled on OCA photography course
