New You Laser Clinic

I will arrange a meeting at New You Laser Clinic to arrange some photography for use in their website. The web site address is www.hairremovelleicester.co.uk.

These are a few images I am hoping to use different techniques and equipment to achieve a more professional image.

Elite Handling Limited

I have telephoned Lee at Elite Handling and arranged a meeting to find out what the client wants to achieve in the images taken.  The web address for Elite Handling is www.elitehandling.co.uk. Elite Handling already have images on their website so I will be looking at what techniques can be used to  improve these images and create further images.

Assignment 211 - Contrasting my presentation with an alternative method

If I could have chosen any way in which to present my photograph images and cost was not an issue I would have chosen to frame the images and use a window mount to create space between the image and the frame.  I would then have found some wall space and displayed the images possibly side by side creating enough space between them so that each image stood on its on merits and the viewer could view the image isolated with no distractions.  If space was limited I would have displayed the images in two rows of five frames but created enough space between each image for viewing.  As one of the images is landscape and the rest of the nine are portrait another way to present would have been to have the nine A4 Size within frames on three rows and on bigger framed image placed in a different position as a sort of introduction to the rest of the images.  This image would have to be perfect quality because of the size.

I would have had the prints done at a photo lab ensuring that my monitor is calibrated with the lab and doing a few test prints to ensure that my monitor and the lab output match.  I would have bought the frames and mounts with the tools and tapes to frame the prints myself to keep the costs to a minimum.

Online Mounting and Framing options can be expensive options and learning to frame your own prints is a  more cost effective option.

Online Mounting and Framing

On reflection, my chosen method of presentation is much more cost effective, space effective and safer to the environment without using paper and ink.  Using a slide show is also a more resourceful option as no time or money is needed.  There is also no storage space issues as all files would be kept on my computer to be viewed as a slide show which is now the most popular way to present photo images.  If a large monitor was used then the images would be bigger allowing the wow factor which tends to come viewing large images.

Although the slide show is a good option for all of the reasons above I still think that printed and framed images are the best way to view photo images.  This is why perfectly clean painted walls, really nice frames and good quality printed images are the choice of photographers and galleries throughout the world and is still the nicest way to present photo images.

Research Assignment 211 - Photography Exhibitions

Photography Exhibitions are a really good and exciting way of showing your work and if you are lucky enough to exhibit your work it usually shows you are being noticed and have been invited to an exhibition to show your work.  You could organise your own exhibition and try and gain interest through publicity, flyers and advertising your event. 

Once you have the venue you would need to liaise with them to find out what vertical wall space you have and what fastenings can be used.  This will then help you decide how you will present your work either with framed prints or matted paper or photo mount.  Some galleries with have a collection of frames in which to exhibit your work but most will require you to provide your own presentation method.  Allowing space between your images allows the viewer to focus on one image standing on its own merits so space is needed between the images so it is important not to cram to many in.  Large images always have the wow factor and I really like large images but the quality has to be perfect.  You will need to find out if you have to hang the frames yourself, if you need to be there whilst the exhibition is open, if you have to provide your own refreshments and if business cards are allowed to be displayed with your images.  Galleries will take a commission so this needs to be agreed with them.

Once you have got all the information required and you have decided on your presentation method you can either get an outsider to print and frame the images which can be expensive or you can do it yourself which can be a less expensive option.

Once you have decided on the presentation methods then find out what lighting is like in the venue.  Find out what the colour balance and light levels are like as you want your work to look the best it can possibly look.  Galleries will have the light levels already sorted but other venues like libraries will not.

Assignment 211 - Final Presentation Images Chosen Method Slide show

These are my final images for assignment 211 Presenting Photo Images. These images have all been cropped to A4 to make it easier for presentation.  I have also added a border around each of the images.

My chosen presentation method is a slide show;

A slide show created on a computer is a really easy and cost free way of presenting photo images.  Slide shows can be created quickly and allows you to view large images if you have a big monitor which is more cost effective than printing.  You can also show a great number of images with very little cost so if you have many images to present a slide show is the ideal option.  There is also the environmental benefits of not using any paper or ink. A computer also allows you to store lots of images for viewing easily without taking up physical space.  There are many slide show software programs on the market like power point and dream weaver.  Slide shows can also be created on DVD to music which is a good way to present wedding photography.

I slide show can be created easily in windows by selecting view as slide show.

Final Images 206 Theme 1 People and Portraits

These are my final images for 206 Theme 1 People and Portraits.  This theme has changed so much over the course of the last 16 weeks and ended up doing almost a full circle back to my original plan.  This theme started by being a collection of 10 black and white images which would be converted in post production.  Then as the winter months turned into summer I started to like the colours and decided I would produce colour images instead of black and white.  Finally when selecting my final 10 images I found that they worked really well in black and white. 

All of these shots have been taken with my Nikon D90 camera with Nikon 18-105 F3.5-5.6 lens.  On every shoot I always made sure I charged my battery fully and had a spare memory card.  I also have lens cleaner, brushes and cloths in my camera bag.  I do have a macro lens the Nidon Macro AF-S 105mm F2.8 ED-IF VR, which is also good for portraiture but it is best used with a tripod and a remote control.  I only have a remote via my phone and laptop together and as these shots were taken out on rough ground in the country a tripod would have been difficult to use.  I always fully charged my battery and made sure I had a spare memory card, lens cleaner and cloth in my camera bag.

Some of these shots which I originally planned to remain in colour do look better now converted to black and white and I did refer to a Macbeth Chart along side my images whilst making the selection which I found helpful in selecting what tones the final images would be.

This image was taken from a few images shot in a corn field and wasn't the best image taken.  Some of the images had the landscape in the background and the sky but unfortunately the cloud seemed to lose pixels and although I did try and fix the problem in post production I then became more focused on the problem and it did not work.  This image however is still a great image and I love the detail of the pattern and texture of the corn.  Taken with a shutter speed of 1/250, F8 and ISO 250 the focus is on the subject placed within the rule of thirds.  I also like the lines in the corn in the background of the subject.  This image is also a really nice image in colour but I think it looks better in black and white.  I really like the shape of the subject against the background of the corn. This image was inspired by Annie Leibovitz American Music.

I love this image which I have cropped slightly across the top in post production and converted to black and white.  Taken with a shutter speed 1/200, aperture F10 ISO 250 this has ensured exposure and allowed the depth of field to capture the subject and the car in focus.  The composition aspect of the rule of thirds is present with the car and the subject and the main focus is the subject, steering wheel and the sunglasses.  I think this image has a nice tonal range but not many really low key or high key tones.  I have taken this at a good angle ensuring that I captured the subject straight on through the window screen of the car. I have chosen this image to be one of my final 10 because I love the way it looks like she is actually driving the car looking to pull out of a junction.

This is one of my favourite images to date and this is why it made my final 10.  The shot is completely natural as the boys were not aware that I was there so it shows really funny childhood behaviour.  I have used a shutter speed of 1/400, aperture F7.1 ISO 800 which has ensured exposure on the bright sunny day.  The ISO could have been set lower but I had just been inside taking some images and forgot to alter the ISO back.  I have converted to black and white in post production and then used the history brush to paint in the original colour of the telephone box.  The image shows the composition aspect of a frame within a frame with the telephone box and also lines are present across the telephone box. 

I have cropped this image to landscape which has removed the cloudy sky at the top of the picture and made the image heavy in the frame.  Taken with a shutter speed of 1/200, aperture F10 and ISO 250 this has ensured exposure and ensured the focus is on the children and car.  This again is an image taken of children playing and I think this image has an element of juxtaposition and this is why I have chosen it for my final 10, as Oliver has the steering wheel and is looking into the sky and Molly has no steering wheel but is pretending to have one looking where she is going.  This image shows the composition aspect of a frame within a frame looking through the car window screen and I think the window screen is set at the rule of thirds as are the children.  Converting this image to black and white has given the image a really old feel which I really like.

I love this image, taken with a shutter speed of 1/15s F5 ISO 1000 with my tripod which ensured exposure and eliminated camera shake.  This was taken next to a window and I really like the light which is shining down one side of her face.  This image has been taken at a low angle so I had to use my tripod as low as possible and tilt slightly upwards to catch her face.  The composition element of the rule of thirds is present where she is positioned and this image has a nice tonal range with low and high key tones.  I like the pattern in the skirt and the guitar.  This image was inspired by Annie Leibovitz and her image of John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers after he had left the band.

This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/320 aperture F10 and ISO 250 which has ensured exposure and that the car and subject remained the main focus with blurring in the background beyond the car.  I have converted this image to black and white in post production.  The main focus is on the subject but I like the way he is placed off centre in the rule of thirds. This image has a nice tonal range and has been taken at a nice angel level with the subject.  The reason this image was chosen as my final 10 is because I think I have framed the image and the camera controls have worked well allowing the car and subject to be in focus whilst blurring out the background.

This image has been converted to black and white in post production and then I have used the history brush to paint in the original colour of the rugby shirt.  This image was taken on a bright sunny day as you can see in the exposure in the background.  I needed a slow shutter of 1/60 wide aperture of F5.6 and ISO 400 as I was shooting into the dark tunnel to capture the subject on the other side.  This image represents the rule of thirds with the position of the tunnel walls and the subject is just off centre.  There are lines down each side of the tunnel which guide the eye to the subject.  The composition aspect of pattern is also present in the sides of the tunnel.  This image has a good tonal range with almost equal amounts of low and high key tones.



For this image I have created a backdrop using old album covers and an old 70s Amp as a seat.  I had to wait for the sun to go behind clouds for this image as the sun caused a glare on the album covers.  It was a bright sunny day and the shutter was set on 1/400, aperture F7.1 and ISO 250 which ensured exposure and the focus on the subject.  I like the tonal range and pattern present in the backdrop but I did want to use different positions of the album covers but unfortunetely Molly got bored very quickly so it did not go as well as I had hoped.  I was planning a re-shoot but the weather has not been very good when I have had time lately.  I have converted to black and white in post production.

This image was taken with my Nikon Nikkor 105mm Macro lens.  I used my tripod together with my phone and laptop as a remote control.  My phone has an app which when connected to my laptop acts as a remote control for my camera.  This eliminated any camera shake as there was no need to touch the camera.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/5s F3.5 ISO 250.  It was taken against a white door next to a window letting in enough natural light.  I have cropped the image slightly to cut out the door handle and converted to black and white in post production.  The main focus is on the eyes as while researching portrait photography a top tip is to focus on the eyes.  This image is mostly high key with only a small amount of low key in the shirt.  Inspiration was taken from David Bailey who shot many of his portrait using high key backdrops.

This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/640, aperture F6.3 ISO 250 which has ensured exposure as it was a very bright and sunny day.  This image has been converted to black and white in post production. This image was taken early in the course but still remains one of my favorite images.  I really like the location on the steps against the old building with the old window frames.  I also like the expressions on the childrens faces.  The composition element of the rule of thirds is present with the railings and children and I like the lines in the steps, the old brickwork and windows.

Final 10 Images 206 Theme 2 Reportage Paris

I have now finished my final images for Theme 2 Reportage.  My original idea was to post produce these images and convert to black and white in photo shop.  Most of my research has been based on old black and white images shot in Paris as I really love old style black and white photographs. I have been inspired by the great photographers Henry Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau and Andre Kertesz and these famous greats have taken fantastic images in Paris.  I have also been inspired by great photographers of today like Eric Kim who is a street photographer and converts most of his work to black and white.

When deciding which images I should select for my final 10 I was also remembering my research from my blog Black and White Photography and researching the Macbeth Chart which allows you to view different colours in monochrome.  I also looked for patterns, textures and shapes which would enhance black and white images.  I then realised that I had so many images which are colour and shots taken at night with different coloured light which are really nice.  I really wanted to include these so my final 10 but taking away the colour took something away from the overall image so they needed to remain colour images.  Although I really like black and white photography during this course and the transition from winter into summer I have become more inspired by colour images.  I have now decided that my final 10 are a mixture of colour and black and white images.

For all these images I have used my Nikon D90 and 18-105mm lens, I fully charged my battery daily and carried a spare memory card with lens cleaner and cloths.  I only have two lenses and the macro lens I have is not the best choice for reportage. These images did not need cropping but I have cropped them to A4 size for presentation purposes.  Most of the images have only had the saturation adjusted slightly or been converted to black and white so there was not much post production work to be done.  My first image I attempted to crop to A4 but I could not crop any part of the image so it remains in its original size.



I have not made any adjustments to this image as I feel no post production was needed.  I have not cropped this image as I feel it is really well framed.  The slow shutter speed 1/13s and the F7.1 aperture has ensured exposure with the ISO set on 1000.  I did not have my tripod which could have been very useful with the slow shutter speed used but I tried to keep the camera as still as possible to try and eliminate any blurring caused by movement.  I shot this image from a low angle trying to capture the cobbles on the street and keeping the line of bikes well in my viewpoint.  This image was shot late at night when you can find quite streets in Paris which is almost impossible during the day.  This gives a really relaxed feel to the image creating a sleepy quiet Paris.  This image shows the composition aspect the rule of thirds which are present throughout the image with the pavement, street lights and the buildings.  Lines are present throughout the image guiding the eye around every part.  I really like the patterns, shapes and textures within the cobbles and the bike wheels and the shadows and reflections caused by the street lights against the trees, bikes and posts. My favourite part of this image is the colours and this is why I could not make my final 10 images black and white because this image had to be included.


 This image has been cropped to A4 purely for presentation purpose as the frame captured on the original image was good.  I have adjusted the saturation a touch in post production because I did not feel it needed anything else.  I did consider removing the branch out of the top of the image but I like photographs in their original state capturing the moment as it was.  I really love this building which is typical of Paris because this is what the buildings are like all around the city.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/200, aperture F8 and ISO 200 which ensured exposure as I was taking the picture in a shaded area out of the sunlight.  A higher aperture and lower shutter would have given a wider depth of field allowing more This image has been cropped to A4 purely for presentation purpose as the frame captured on the original image was good.  I have adjusted the saturation a touch in post production because I did not feel it needed anything else.  I did consider removing the branch out of the top of the image but I like photographs in their original state capturing the moment as it was.  I really love this building which is typical of Paris because this is what the buildings are like all around the city.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/200, aperture F8 and ISO 200 which ensured exposure as I was taking the picture in a shaded area out of the sunlight.  A higher aperture and lower shutter would have given a wider depth of field allowing more focus and sharpness around the whole image but I am happy with the result.  I like the shape of this building and taken at a low angle the shape is enhanced against the background.  I chose this image to be in my final 10 mainly because of the colours which I think have been captured really well with almost no post production.  I really like the pattern within this image which are present as lines, forms, shapes and colours.  Lines are present throughout the image and although the building is centred within the image it does show the composition aspect of the rule of thirds with the crowd of people being present in the bottom third.

                                   

This image was taken on a bright and sunny day walking across the bridge leading up to the Eiffel Tower. I had seen this advertisement a few times whilst walking around Paris and liked the expression on the boys face which shows surprise and excitement.  When I saw the tour bus travelling towards the Eiffel Tower I waited for the shot as the bus moved through the traffic, not really realising the final image would represent the boys look of excitement and surprise whilst travelling under the Eiffel Tower.  This image captures a little of what is known as Juxtaposition which is quite hard to capture in street photography as you have to be extremely lucky or create a staged shot.  This image has been shot with a shutter speed of 1/320, aperture F7.1 and a ISO 200 which ensured the correct exposure.  I have converted this image to black and white in post production as I feel it suits the image.  This image has been shot at a good perspective and represent the rule of thirds and lines really well.  I like the aspect of frame within a frame as the boy is captured within the frame of the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.  I think the image has a lot of grey tones but still maintains a good tonal range overall.  I like the patterns and textures created by the frame of the Eiffel Tower and the line of people boarding the bus have been captured at a really good moment.

This image has had the most work in post production as the original image had a man walking down the street towards me.  I did get a shot just before the man walked into the frame but after quickly checking exposure I had to adjust the camera controls and re shoot the image.  I have posted screen grabs in a previous post which shows how I removed the man using the rectangle marquee tool and the edit, fill and content aware tools.  This image was taken using a shutter speed of 1/320, aperture of F8 and ISO 200 which ensured exposure.  I have converted to black and white in post production which suits the image taken.  Taken at a low angle this really captures the lines of the street which guides the eye through the image.  This is one of few images taken in Paris where I managed to capture just one person as Paris is so crowded and that is what makes this image stand out and why I have chosen it as one of my final 10 images.  The focal point is the man on the bike and I like the perspective capturing the old building with lots of details which adds the composition aspect of pattern and texture.

This image captures life in Paris at night, people sitting outside restaurants mostly under heater lamps as the night air draws in but the atmosphere is really lovely.  I was sitting outside the restaurant opposite under heater lamps with people walking past enjoying what Paris has to offer.  This image for me captures a moment in time to which I think photography is about and this is why I choose it as one of my final 10.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8s, aperture F7.1 and ISO 1000.  The slow shutter speed was needed because when this was taken it was very dark and late at night.  I did not have my tripod but managed to capture the image with very little movement.  I really like the colours in this image and how it has captured the reflections in the window.  I also like the image which has been captured through the window of the people sitting inside and the man staring out of the window seems to be looking directly at me.  I do not know if he saw me take the picture or not but it appears he did.  I like the glasses and the bottles within the window and the way these add pattern and texture to the image.

Whilst walking around Paris I passed an old run down building and some skate boys were using it as a skate park.  I stayed for a while and took some shots of the skate boarders in action and this was one of the images.  I did have some images of skaters jumping off ramps which I like but I like the relaxed atmosphere this image creates.  The boy reading the magazine has been shot at the rule of thirds and I really like the lines created by the steps and building in the background.  The old building creates really nice pattern and texture to this image.  This image was the hardest image to decide on black and white or colour as the colour image was really nice.  There was not much colour in the original, just a pale yellow caused by the sun reflecting on the building and the yellow beer can sat on the wall but it was a difficult decision.  I finally decided to convert to black and white only because I had to make a choice because I like both images the same.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/400, aperture F5.6 ISO 200 which ensured exposure as the sun was quite strong reflecting off the building.  I did consider taking the boy in the background out in post production but I do not like to change images too much Photography for me is about capturing the moment.

This image was taken from the balcony at the hotel which had this really lovely view of the Eiffel Tower above all these lovely chimney pots.  The blue beam of light travels around the tower I checked exposure and waited for the position of the light to be in line with the chimney pots.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1s, aperture F5.6 and ISO 1000.  I used my elbows on a table to try and eliminate any camera shake as I did not have my tripod with me.  This is another image that I really like and could not have converted to black and white because of the lovely colours.  I have lightened this image slightly, so slightly I don't think you can and cropped to A4 for presentation.  This image shows the composition aspect of the rule of thirds and lines.  The pattern and textures created by the buildings are really beautiful and the Eiffel Tower and the blue light are the focal point with really great colour.  I like the shape of the chimney pots against the sky in the background.  This is a really nice shot showing the real beauty of Paris at night.

This image was taken through a shop window and is an advertisement for converse boots.  When I saw this window I instantly knew I was going to convert to black and white and then use the history brush to colour in some of the red boots.  I like images which are post produced in this way and converse boots are great too. Taken with a shutter speed of 1/320, aperture F7.1 and ISO 200.   I like the pattern this image represents with the repetition of the shapes of the boots.  I think this image has a nice tonal range with equal amounts of low and high key tones and if you look closely you can see the reflection of the street outside.   This image is not really a representative of Paris as this shot could have been taken anywhere but my representation of it is capturing a moment on the Champs Elysee Paris.  I have included it because I knew how I wanted the final image to be as soon as I shot it and it is one of my favorite images.

This image is the one I most struggled with including in my final 10.  I like images of motorbikes, scooters and pedal bikes and did take quite a few whilst in Paris as they seem to be everywhere.  I think this one made it because I like the old shop situated at the rule of thirds and it has been taken at a good perspective.  The detail of the building is really nice and adds really nice pattern and texture and I like the reflection of another building in the window.  The row of bikes are also positioned in the rule of thirds and also represents lines.  I also think that this image has a nice tonal range with equal amounts of low and high key tones.  This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/250, aperture F9 ISO 320 as this ensured exposure in a shady build up street and a wide depth of field.  I have converted this image to black and white in post production and altered the colours slightly.

This image is another colour image which made the choice of my final 10 being a mixture of colour and black and white.  Taken with a shutter speed of 1/80, aperture F6.3 ISO 1000 this ensured exposure as it was just starting to turn dark.  The focal point is on the girl with the blond hair which captures her candid expression really well.  There is some really nice colours in this image and together with the detail of the street, the cobbles and the buildings forms really nice pattern and texture.  There is a lot going on in this image and the eye is easily guided around the whole image.  Another image which captures the hustle and bustle of city life in Paris.