Assignment 5 Revisited

Having received my tutor’s report, I’ve found that yet again my submission has fallen well below what was expected. So I’ll take everything on board, even though I find some of the comments a bit over the top – like the Goths’ black dress are pervasive and it would have been better if the grass hadn’t been so neatly mown – and I’ll rework the images or replace them as necessary. I feel that a lot of assumptions have been used in the compilation of the report and comments like ‘it lacks subtlety in image making when a practitioner uses ‘easy filters’ to embellish their work’ is at a minimum offensive. Assuming that I’ve been moving around too much I think is unjustified – I went to various locations, but spent significant times at each, waiting for people to arrive. I wanted to show different aspects of the town as well as the different aspects of the Goths – as per my remit! I’ve been left feeling that I’m not up to standard in this level 1 course, so maybe taking it further isn’t a good idea. I’ll see what the assessment yields before moving on – it could be that I do have some merit, despite what my tutor has inferred.
Some of his suggestions I’ve decided not to use – for instance, creating a monochrome presentation, as I feel that the colourfulness of the Goths is so much a part of the weekend that this should be an aspect which is accentuated rather than muted.
So moving on with the assignment:

Welcome to Whitby

Starting on the West side of town, this couple posed for me with the old town as a backdrop. I saw them on different occasions with a different outfit every day! In this version I’ve used Lightroom to selectively increase the exposure in both the subjects’ faces. In all the previous submission I used a degree of HDR, but have not in the majority of this set.

Family Outing

Moving to the East side, I’ve ignored the bistro in the market square (the clothing was too black) and used this image instead. Here the ladies are parading with their prams which contain ‘reborn’ dolls. Entertaining, but a little disquieting (especially when you see the dolls!) Here we get an inkling of the ‘bizarre’ side to the weekend.

Abbey Steps

I’ve again replaced the image for one which portrays only one aspect of the Goths – here we have the traditional Victorian dress with the background slightly blurred due to the depth of field.

The Reaper at Caedmon’s Cross

This version has no filters applied and the cropping isn’t as tight on the cross.
We see here yet another aspect of the weekend – the darker side of the Goths is coming through here!

Steam Punks among the Gravestones

I’ve lightened the faces in this image as suggested and I agree that it works better. We now see a couple who are out to enjoy their weekend as Steam Punks, both with the Victorian dress and both with their ‘gadgetry’.

Victorian in the Abbey

As suggested, I’ve toned down the blue sky in this image and I agree that this improves the image. Here we get an idea of the wealth of some of the Goths – look at the jet and moonstones in her jewellery and the carefully reproduced Victorian Dress (she was also concealing a Nikon D300s below her skirt). This is a weekend to look forward to all year!

Japanese Goth

I’ve replaced the image here, so there’s no issue with green grass. It still shows the willingness of the majority of visitors to have their pictures taken – they’re here to be seen and show what they have!

Steam Punks Descending the Steps

I’ve removed some of the distracting people in this image, but the railings had to stay. When you consider the height of some of the footwear and the depth of some of the makeup it wouldn’t be possible to use the steps without this protection!

Joker on the Quayside

As suggested, I’ve desaturated the background to a degree and also removed one of the distracting people on the quay. It’s almost impossible to segregate people here – the town is really buzzing for this weekend, so it’s necessary to grab what you can when you can. I was pleased to catch these two as I did.
As an aside, it’s worth noting that a number of the ‘over made up’ people need to be holding hands, as their vision is so compromised, so they need to be guided by their partners. In this case, they really are a very close couple!

Fantasy on Golden Lion Bank

I replaced the original image with this one. It still involved a lot of work with cloning, layer masks and field blur, but now we see the detail in the costumes and more light in his face. Here we see two distinct uses of the latex fetish. It’s an entertaining weekend and almost anything goes!

Steam Punk Warrior on Cliff Street

I’ve used layer masks to brighten the warrior and a plug-in to accentuate his face.
This image shows the lengths that some of the visitors go to for their image. He told me that he made it all himself (and it’s very heavy!)

Taking in the Atmosphere on West Cliff

I’ve removed the whale bones and brightened the ladies’ faces as suggested.
This image shows how to relax after a day or two exploring this year’s creations. Here you can look out over the town and the harbour and just let it wash over you. See you next year!