The following is a direct copy and has been Pasted in for future reference from the People & Place coursework PDF Doc. (pasted in Maroon)
7 photographs
For this exercise you will play the role of a location hunter. The brief is to find six very different settings or backgrounds which could be used effectively and attractively for either a whole body or torso portrait. You will need to take into account the lens focal length and camera position, and the lighting. Many things can work together to make an attractive backdrop, so there is no simple formula, and ultimately your choice will be based on what you like. That said, tonal and textural simplicity from edge to edge is a reliable quality when you come across it.
Take reference pictures of the locations as you come across them (an example of the advantage of carrying a camera with you as often as possible), without people.
Finally, choose one of them and return with a portrait subject and photograph them.
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Equipment
Camera – Nikon D4
Lenses – 24/70 – f2.8 / 85 – f1.4 (prime) / 200 – f2.0 (prime)
Ancillary equipment – Tripod / Monopod
Method & Approach
Please see pictures and captions below.
Note – all pictures have been compressed hence there might be a quality reduction when enlarging.
Picture 1 – Bluebell woods, Coleshill, Oxfordshire
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera mounted on a tripod)
Speed 1/60th sec
Aperture f16.0
ISO 800
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 85mm / f1.4 (prime)
Focal Length 85mm
Comments – A beautiful location that I regularly visit, it’s very seasonal as in the above picture but it’s also a lovely wood to visit at other times of the year too.
Picture 2 – Mortehoe bay (Woolacombe), Devon
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera mounted on a tripod)
Speed 1/180th sec
Aperture f11.0
ISO 100
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 28mm
Comments – This part of the world has become the annual family summer retreat, taken from a static caravan balcony overlooking a most spectacular view of Mortehoe bay, Devon. This location also has a terrific coastal walk down to the beach.
Picture 3 – A character doorway, Plymouth, Devon.
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera mounted on a tripod)
Speed 1/60th sec
Aperture f8.0
ISO 100
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 24mm
Comments – This picture was one of those opportunities that came about by just walking through the town. It had to be taken in black and white in keeping with its character.
Picture 4 – A park bench, Witney, Oxfordshire
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera positioned on a monopod)
Speed 1/2000th sec
Aperture f2.0
ISO 200
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 200 / f2.0
Focal Length 200mm
Comments – This is a beautiful and simplistic location, ideal for people portraits. The bench with its minimalist design qualities and the surrounding grass area is so void of clutter that a subject portrait suitably dressed in a contrasting coloured outfit such as red, would almost bounce out of the picture at you.
Picture 5 – Rousham gardens, Oxfordshire
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (handheld)
Speed 1/200th sec
Aperture f5.6
ISO 100
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 45mm
Comments – In this picture I tried to create a pastel water colour, a Monet for example. This almost magical view with its wonderful over hanging Wisteria and contrasting coloured path would make a really terrific bridal shot.
Picture 6 – The river Avon, Bath, Somerset
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera mounted on a tripod)
Speed 1/20th sec
Aperture f22
ISO 100
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 70mm
Comments – Out one Sunday with my wife for a pub lunch and I came across this view to the rear of a pub on the river Avon. At the time there was a boat moored but I came back later that afternoon when it had departed and was able to take this beautiful uncluttered shot.
Picture 7 – The river Avon, Bath, Somerset
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera mounted on a tripod)
Speed 1/40th sec
Aperture f20
ISO 100
White Balance Setting Daylight (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 70mm
Comments – This is my concluding picture with my wife posing for the shot. In relevance to this exercise I have maintained the same focal distance and positioning to that of the previous picture (above) purely as the exercise asks but in reality I would have moved in toward the subject and taken this picture much closer as she is currently lost within this image, although her contrasting outfit does make her recognisable and stand out.
What have I learnt from this exercise
I have learnt from this exercise to memorise various locations, some are more seasonable than others (perhaps I should start to write them down in a note book). Having knowledge of places plays a major part to keeping pictures interesting and I often look in magazines for the locations used (a good magazine for national locations with directions and descriptions is Outdoor Photography).
Thoughts and Reflection
Looking for the perfect location is not an easy task and as I mentioned above ‘many are seasonable’ so picking the right time of year is paramount if you want bloom or best character (snow, mist etc) and visiting these locations needs to be planned appropriately. Some of these places may only warrant a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt others may need waterproof clothing and relevant footwear. This thought process also applies to equipment needed and equipment protection from the elements.
Summary
I often shoot the same locations each year and I have become familiar with them over time but I also add to this list each year by travelling to different sights. This new knowledge gained from reading magazines and watching various documentaries and nature programs etc. on the television, I also pickup the odd location by word of mouth and that of camera clubs.
stingray493 