Assignment 5: Applying the techniques of illustration and narrative. - Reflection

Well here we are with the final assignment feedback. I am very happy with the tutor comments as it shows the ideas I wanted to get across with the images have been successful conveyed. I have posted the images in the articles here so that they can be viewed in a larger size - clicking on an image will open it full screen. I have also carried out some of the suggested improvements. Each edit is noted with the image.

One point I would like to clarify in the assignment feedback is the mention of slow shutter speed. Although it may seem a little slow for hand holding, I was using a lens with image stabilisation - the Canon 24-105 F4L. I had this switched on for this shoot in an attempt to keep the ISO as low as possible as the weather was pretty grim. I was trying to prevent too much noise creeping in to the images. For other images I tried to capture a little movement in the tractor wheels or plough. Having said that, some of the images may have benefited from a slightly higher shutter speed.

Research
I first found out about the ploughing event from a sign I passed on the way to work. The timing was just about right for this to feature as my assignment so I set about finding out what I could.  A search on the internet resulted in me finding this web site: http://chichesterploughingmatch.web.officelive.com/default.aspx.

I spent some time on here, looking at the images from previous years and getting some idea of how things worked. From this I drew up the list of shots I wanted to get. The list is outlined in the actual assignment.

The Images
Here are the images from this assignment. Clicking on an image will open it full size.!

Cover Image

The Cover Image
I wanted the cover image to be striking and be clear of the subject. Filling most of the frame with the tractor and ploughed field in close-up serves to let the viewer know that the article is about ploughing. I am happy with this side of the image although I do see that without the wording we would not know that this is a ploughing competition and may think it is just about ploughing. Maybe I should have included some more competitors?

Image 1

Image 1
This image was created to show that there was a variety of competitors attending. I wanted something more dramatic than a simply angled view across the fields. This straight on shot looks down across all the different equipment to show that there is a lot going on. Unfortunately I had a little trouble with the sky being very pale and did not have any graduated neutral density filters to combat this, so I had to make a decision on exposure and opted for the machinery and fields.

Image 2

Image 2
Really pleased with this image. I was happy I spotted this as it adds a more 'reportage' feel to the sequence. I chose a medium depth of field and this has worked well to highlight the subject of this image - the dog waiting for his master to return.

Image 3

Image 3
This image has been re-edited to lighten the face of the woman on the left and the furrow in the foreground. When viewing this in full size, you will notice the movement in the horses feet. I did shoot for this at 1/50 of a second. I don't think having the shutter any slower would have improved the image as this would have resulted in too much movement.

Image 4

Image 4
The purpose of this image was two-fold. I wanted to show the variety of machinery that attended on the day as well as add in some more human interest. If I had to retake this image I may have tried to re-frame to lose some of the clutter by the man's left arm.

Image 5

Image 5
The tutor feels this is the least successful image in this assignment which it guess it must be! The image was placed at the bottom of the right hand page of the article as it was meant to juxtaposition the shire horses at the bottom of the left hand page in an 'old' vs 'new' type of context. The tractor image itself is not really that spectacular although I do like the movement in the wheels and the plough.

I have lightened the tractor a little more as per suggestion of the tutor by using the 'Dodge' tool in Photoshop.

Image 6

Image 7

Image 8

Image 6, 7 & 8
I am very happy with this little series of images. I had spent some time photographing this chap and this is a small selection from many shots. The sequence has been included here so that the larger versions can be examined.

Image 9

Image 9
This image serves to show both a bit more of the scale of the event and also gives an idea of how the ploughing is carried out for a competition. This is a crop to get rid of some of the bland sky and foreground so as to focus on the action.

Image 10

Image 10
I included this image as it has such a strange machine and good detail of the guy using it. There are also some leading lines which draw you into the image.

Image 11

Image 11
A simple detail which shows the conditions but also encapsulates the day - mud, straw and machinery!

Image 12

Image 12
Here a view of the judges. It may have been nice if I had got a shot of the judge  with the clipboard writing something down?

Image 13

Image 13
Again a detail shot to show some of the machinery in use. Perhaps a slightly slower shutter speed here would have given a bit more movement to the soil being turned over.

Image 14

Image 14
Finally, I needed an image to end on but I unfortunately couldn't be there the prize giving so I had to pick a suitable image from the shots I took that day. This was the best I could come up with but I admit it maybe isn't the best to show the end of the day.

So what have I learnt?

The art of photography has been a lot of things over the last year. At times challenging in content & time, fun, exciting and informative. I have learnt some new technical aspects of photography but the most valuable thing I take away is that I now spend more time thinking about and analysing images, both my own and those of other photographers.

Throughout this course I have explored many other artists, some famous and some less so. Many have influenced the way I look at  photographs and the manner in which I now set out to make photographs. This is not always evident in the photographs I have taken for this course work. The nature of some of the exercise called for a more 'technical' approach. Also looking back over the course I now see that in some projects I took a more technical approach where an artistic view may have been possible and more appropriate, for example the assignment  for 'light'.

I have always been keen on people photography and now can add to this abstract which I explored for the first time in a serious manner in 'Elements of design'. Through exploring other artists I have also become interested in street photography and aware of the importance of narrative and illustration in my work. From the learning perspective I have made many notes on how to improve the presentation and content of my next Blog

I am now looking forward to the next chapter in this adventure.

Assignment 5: Applying the techniques of illustration and narrative.

It had been my intention to use a sixties style photo shoot I was planning as the basis for this assignment but on then day circumstances didn't quite work out as planned. As my deadline is looming I have had to fall back on my original idea, which was the coverage of a ploughing match.

Chichester Ploughing Match - research
The Chichester Ploughing Match takes place on the last Sunday of October every year in fields just outside Chichester, West Sussex. Although this is a competition, the match is just as much about keeping the skill of ploughing alive. The competition is judged on the ploughman's ability to cut straight and tidy furrows.

Photographically there should be variety in the types of machines attending, from the old to the new. I will also be on the lookout for some good  'farmer folk' onlookers. I am expecting a prize giving at the end of the day, so some shots of the winner would be good.

The publication
First, here is the publication I created.

Conclusions
This turned into a challenging exercise for me. This had been my original idea but I had abandoned it once due to the weather on the day not being very good. What this meant in real terms is that there wasn't much of a crowd of on-lookers and I was unable to stay for the final judging announcements. After my second choice also fell apart I returned to this project and found I was able to look at it in a new light. I still do not have images of onlookers or the final judges announcements but I think I am still able to get the story across. Admittedly some  nicer weather would have provided for nicer images.

If I were to do this exercise again I think I would try and find a much bigger event, provided such an event is available of course. If the event went on into the evening or even covered several days, so much the better.

The images
Cover image: 1/80, ISO400, F8 -2/3EC 84mm
Page 1: 1/13, ISO400, F22, 60mm
Page 2 top: 1/40, ISO160, F5.6 -2/3EC, 47mm
Page 2 bottom: 1/50, ISO100, F8 -2/3EC, 58mm
Page 3 top: 1/125, ISO100, F4 -2/3EC, 32mm
Page 3 bottom: 1/15, ISO400, F22, 45mm
Page 4 top: 1/160, ISO100, F4 -1/3EC, 58mm
Page 4 middle: 1/640, ISO100,F4 -2/3EC, 102mm
Page 4 bottom: 1/250, ISO100, F4 -1/3EC, 105mm
Page 5 top: 1/250, ISO100, F4 -1EC, 84mm
Page 5 bottom: 1/60, ISO160, F5.6 -2/3EC, 55mm
Page 6: 1/100, ISO100, F4 -1/3EC, 65mm
Page 7 top: 1/30, ISO100, F8 -2/3EC, 40mm
Page 7 middle: 1/100, ISO1000, F8 -2/3EC, 105mm
Page 7 bottom: 1/50, ISO200, F8 -2/3EC, 55mm

Rain

1 Photo that would work for a magazine cover on the subject of rain. I carried out a quick brainstorm and wrote down all the ideas that came to mind on the subject of rain. Here are some of them:

running down window, puddles, windscreen wipers, wet cat, dog shaking, umbrellas, raincoats, drips, splash, huddled under newspaper etc.

As you can see, even with brainstorming a lot of clichéd ideas still pop up.

I then set out trying to capture the above when the weather was right. I ended up with a few possibles but chose the following. I thought it worked best as a magazine cover because it had space for the writing, the orientation was correct and there is something that for me really works with the colours. Most of the colours are quite subdued except for the umbrellas. Because of this the umbrellas catch the eye and of course, they immediately say 'rain'!

Evidence of action

The brief for 'Evidence of action' calls for one photograph in which it can be seen that something has happened. I attended a local ploughing match with the initial thought of shooting for my final assignment. It was unfortunately not a very good day and I had to leave soaking wet before the time of the prize giving!

I did however take a number of shots and one of those is my representation of 'Evidence of action'.



The 'Evidence' is obviously the ploughed strip and kinda like that it is actually not the most dominant part of the image. Attention is drawn to the strip by the judges who are looking at it. The other end of the strip is blocked off by the horses, which stop the eye from following the furrow and then leaving the frame.

As a little self critique, I do wish I had angled the camera to allow just a little more of the ploughed area. Perhaps if I had moved a couple more feet to the left so that the furrow was angled like in the picture below?