OCA Learning Log : Part 1

Showing posts with label Part 1 - The frame. Show all posts

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Excercise: Cropping

For this exercise 3 photographs were to be taken, each with potential for improvement by cropping. The before and after photographs to be compared and the logic behind the decision explained. I will be using Picassa 3 for my cropping but am taking delivery of Photoshop Elements 7 later in the week although I have been offered a copy of Lightroom, I don't think my computer has the capacity to load Lightroom, which I understand would be the preferred software, may need to look at improvind my computer capacity at some point.

Before crop - Grenwich, London

158, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photograph has a good depth of field with the maritime museums on both sides of the frame and canary wharf in the distance, there is a lot of pathway in the foreground. After experimenting with a mask I thiink cropping the building out of the right hand side of the frame and reducing the pathway in the foreground but keeping canary wharf to balance the angle of the building on the left might improve the photograph

After crop - Grenwich, London

158, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This now leads the eye not only to the gold and the clock on the dome on top of the museum but also canary wharf in the distance, the lines on the grass are also more obvious which compliment the lines of the pillars, I initially cropped the picture further to remove the pathway at the bottom of the frame, but this took the balance away from the photo

Before crop - lavender on decking

109, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This close up of the last of summers lavender, with a few whispy bits of spider web. I feel the deck on the top quarter of the frame detracts the eye from the indended subject

After crop - lavender on decking

DSCF0155, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
I left the lavender off centre as I feel the photo looks a litte more natural

Project: Vertical & horizontal frames

For this project 20 photo's taken twice, vertical and horizontal, were required. The following demonstrate how vertical suits some scenes more than horizontal and vice versa, often though either is acceptable. I selected aperture priority on my camera to gain as much depth of field as possible with the camera adjusting the shutter automatically, aperture set at f5.6

Horizontal tree in 'The Exchange' Nottingham

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1/25 f5.6 a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo shows the shops on either side of the frame leading the eye to the tree in the centre of the frame, the lighting on the stone wall behind the tree gives the photo warmth

Vertical tree in 'The Exchange' Nottingham

1/60 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
The decorations overhead lead the eye from the top of the frame to the tree in the centre of the bottom half of the frame, the warm lighting gives a pleasant background to the overhead decorations

Horizontal statue 'The Pipeworks' Swadlincote

1/125 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo shows the metal statue of an older man comforting a young boy, the plaque says 'It's alright lad it's just a hole in the ground where you go to find your roots', very fitting and moving for this ex-mining town. The photo shows a chimney right in the centre of the picture which spoils the looks of the photo. The colours of the brick buildings compliment the metal of the statue.

Vertical statue 'The Pipeworks' Swadlincote

1/125 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo is clearly suited to the vertical frame, the picture is balanced with the statue in the bottom right of the frame, I would have preferred to have the chimney slightly further to the left of the frame but there were steps to the right which I didn't want to include & the further to the left I moved the chimney, the statue moved further to the middle of the frame, I would also have liked to remove the street lights if possible.

Horizontal creperie

1/20 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo shows the french man on the left of the frame but not much to look at on the right

Vertical creperie

1/20 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This scene is better suited to the vertical frame as the frame is full of interest, the crepe at the bottom of the frame, the fruit & nutella with one of the jars having chocolate running down the side of the jar and the french man making a crepe in the background, there is some additional light from the hanging lights outside the frame top right

Vertical carol singers

1/30 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This scene is best suited to the vertical frame, the carol singers along the bottom of the frame gives the photo balance

Horizontal carol singers

1/30 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo shows the carol singers in the centre of the frame with the tree in the background, on reflection this could have been improved if I'd moved in more on the carol singers so that the chopped off tree is not so obvious

Horizontal Nottingham street

1/30 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This photo shows some christmas market huts, tall buildings in the background, a group of pedestrians and at the bottom of the frame a clear area of pathway, for this reason I don't feel this photo is balanced

Vertical Nottingham street

1/50 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This scene works better as vertical frame, the tall building on the right helps to frame the photo and leads the eye along the row of tall buildings, there are pedestrians along the bottom right of the frame balancing those on the left

Horizontal snowy trees

1/30 f5.6, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
These trees along the bottom of the frame match the muted colours of the buildings in the background, I could have used a smaller aperture to make the background more blury so as to lead the eye away from the 'starbucks coffee' sign.

OCA Learning Log