Project: Space and Function

Finding articles relating to the photography of the inside of buildings, with regard to how the spaces function, is not easy. Instruction on the photographing of architecture is much easier, but not what I was looking for. Some of the work of photographers in Magnum Photos

http://www.magnumphotos.com/ displays the kind of approach I wanted. In particular: Alex Majoli, October 2012 Paris Fashion Week where he uses figures within the spaces to bring life to the images; Bruno Barbey, Morocco Fes. 2012 where he has used different viewpoints to show the spaces used in the textile industry; Carl De Keyzer, Amsterdam Designers 2007 places subjects within their working environments; Chien-Chi Chang brings interiors to life in many of his images; Peter Marlow has several portfolios showing development interiors, mostly inferring that they are occupied without showing people; Susan Meiselas, Postcards from America III – House of Pictures, captures the spaces of a clothing factory with workers at their stations. Wayne Miller’s images show people in context with their surroundings, but the emphasis is on the subject, rather than the surroundings – not what I’m looking for just now.

Starting from the premise that I first need to know how to photograph the insides of buildings, I looked through my books and found one or two images which gave an idea of what to aim for:

In Michael Freeman’s ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ in the section ‘Perspective and depth’ there is an image of a cartographer’s library, which shows how the space is being employed.

While this is an example of the use of an image which used a tilt lens, the significance of the type of image is relevant to what I’m looking for. This image shows how the space is being used and tells a story of what is going on here.

We see areas where books and other reference items are stored, tables where the items can be worked with and people using it. This is the type of image I’d like to produce for the first exercise.

So, looking at this image, I need to consider perspective.

Another Michael Freeman book ‘Photographing People’, shows an example in the ‘workplace portraits’ section:

This is another example where perspective has been used to good effect. We see how the space is being used to fill the walls and provide a work area.

I suspect that a wide angle lens has been used here, as there is some distortion of the verticals in the image

John Hedgecoe’s ‘Complete Guide to Photography’ includes three projects relating to building interiors:

1. In the simple interiors section he addresses light. He advises that small, single source lighting from a window or open door may produce high contrast images, with the shadow areas showing very little detail. If additional lighting is to be used it should be diffused or reflected to create a soft light. Bouncing the light from a flash unit off walls, umbrellas or reflectors may be a possibility. If flash units are used, they should be well out of frame and softened.

2. For large-scale interiors (churches, courtyards etc.) it’s more difficult to provide additional lighting – it may be useful to use a tripod, with the camera triggered in ‘bulb’ setting then fire the flash at different areas – paint with light. Also, there’s a factor of deciding what to include in the shot – what can be included and what can be left out!

3. Including people in the image takes away the decision of what time of day to use for the image – the presence of the people defines when the image is to be captured. Here he extolls the advantage of working in Black and White, where the problems of colour cast due to different light sources is no longer an issue and it’s easier to use the high contrast from single light sources to create low-key atmospheric images like this:

The low light angle, with the camera positioned to cover the area from dark to light and with the sitter gazing into the light have produced an image which places the woman comfortably in her space. The room is so obviously part of the woman and vice versa.

High-key images can similarly be produced, in well-lit areas which make the space seem more open and less painterly.

A common theme throughout these examples has been the choice of lens, the aperture being used and the positioning of the camera:

· The two perspective images use a wide angle lens and obviously quite a small aperture, to attain the good depth of field and both with a fairly low shooting angle, which increases the perspective.

· The Black and White image looks to be a standard lens, as there’s no distortion or shortening of perspective. The camera position is a little higher, which creates good lines with the floor and light lines from the window to draw the viewer into the picture.

Norman McGrath’s ‘Photographing buildings inside and out’ has a wealth of information regarding equipment, planning, viewpoint etc. It’s a little dated, so suggestions on how to make B&W slides etc. can be taken with a pinch of salt, but much of the information is still valid. There’s a slant towards producing architectural images, but the technical nuances are worth considering.

On the subject of including people in architectural images he suggests that the size of the building has an impact on whether or not they should be included. For instance, in a small room, the inclusion of a person may shift the attention from the room to the person, which may not be the remit for the image. In a large area, the inclusion of people can give the space some perspective, or show the function of the building.

Looking on line for information, I found the following:

eHow website http://www.ehow.com/how_7803216_photograph-buildings-inside-out.html advises the following for photographing interiors:

1. Scout the inside of the building to find interesting or significant subjects to photograph. Mount the camera on a tripod after you found a good vantage point and put the camera in manual mode.

2. Take several shots with different settings until you reach a satisfactory exposure. Often photographers will have success when using window light to illuminate their compositions. Overexpose your image to let more light from the window into the scene.

3. Mount an external flash to your camera and aim it upward or backward for it to act as a fill light. Bouncing your flash off of a ceiling or wall will help to lower the contrast of the shadows cast by the window light. Adjust the power of the flash until the brightness of the fill flash is just slightly darker than the window light.

Not the most detailed or very useful advice!

The Photo.net website http://photo.net/learn/architectural/interior gives much better advice on photographing interiors. It’s quite a long article, so I won’t try to insert it here, but the main points are:

· Use a tripod, as indoor light is usually poor, compared to outdoors, and longer exposures are required.

· When using a flash for additional lighting, don’t use the built in flash – it won’t be powerful enough.

· If the only light is from a single window the image will be very contrasty, so additional lighting may be required. This may be from existing lights (but incandescent lamps may require changing for daylight lamps), or flash. Alternatively the colour balance can be compensated for using filters or adjusted later using computer software.

· To show whole rooms, wide angle lenses produce better results - preferably prime lenses which require less light. It may be an advantage to use a longer lens to pick out detail for some images. Another option may be to use a standard lens and then stitch the images together – this brings in more techniques both in the taking and processing of the image, but it’s worth considering.

· Including people in an image can bring the space to life and give the image some meaning.

· Look for images that are ‘different’ or have some humour – have fun!

Using the various sources of information I’ve compiled a list of points to consider when photographing interiors:

· Perspective

· Light

· Lens

· Aperture

· Inclusion of people

· Shooting angle

· Look round the building for interesting angles and subjects

· Have a ‘planning’ visit and ask permission!

So with these points in mind, I’ll get onto the next exercise.

Part 3: Buildings and spaces

Assignment 2 – People and activity

The Plan:

With the Whitby Folk Festival running I’m going to focus on the various dance groups, using these different groups performing their traditional dances.

Referring to the lessons of this second part, I’m looking for images which show the dancers and activities and capture ‘the moment’ as much as possible, whether in the dance, their actions or intimate moments.

I’ll use one camera (Nikon D300s and one zoom lens (Nikor 18 – 200 mm VR) to make it easier for the grab shots while giving the facility for longer range ‘personal’ images.

The reality:

Finding out where the dancers were going to be over the weekend was fairly easy, using the events listing. I was already reasonably familiar with some of the groups, so I knew what I was targeting. Getting into an optimum position while not getting into the performers’ way or being in danger of getting struck by flying sticks or trampled underfoot was more difficult. There were several venues with simultaneous displays, so I chose those which had more ‘colourful’ groups and got to the venue before the dancers.

For the ‘action’ shots, I used continuous focusing and high speed continuous shooting, to enable catching ‘the moment’ that froze the action at various points of the dance. This inevitably produced hundreds of images and while I was able to review them on camera to a degree the majority of the editing was done at home using Lightroom 4.

A problem I had with many of the group images was the number of onlookers, who produced too much ‘clutter’ in the images, so a significant amount of work was required to reduce this clutter using Photoshop – I’ll document this as the images are presented.

Starting with the ladies’ teams, I took the following series of images:

Camden Clog

ISO-200, f/8, 1/500 sec, 29 mm (43mm EFL)

This image of the Camden Clog dancing team, from South East Lancashire, catches the ladies as they were all in step, with their right feet all off the ground, their arms at the same position and hands at head height. It shows the practiced steps of this really ’tight’ team – obviously well-rehearsed and committed to performing traditional clog dances. Their attire is obviously well kept, with well-polished clogs and bells. They are to be admired.

I chose a low shooting angle for this in order to frame them better with parts of the harbour showing behind them. This is one of the images where I selectively blurred some of the background in order to bring the focus onto the ‘sharp’ dancers.

I think the moment of action has been caught well here and the processing of the image has worked fairly well. Obviously it would have been better to capture them without the need for further processing, but in this kind of situation one needs to be fast and catch the image as it’s presented – getting to the front of a crowd of spectators and keeping out of their viewing area is a feat in itself – so I’m quite happy with this result.

Hexhamshire Lasses

ISO-200, f/8, 1/500 sec, 35 mm (52mm EFL)

This group of traditional dancers, from Northumberland, is obviously very well-rehearsed. Again they’ve been caught in mid step as the lines dance towards each other. What is seen in this image is the joy of the dancers. They are so obviously enjoying the dance and each other’s company – and surely this is what the dance should be about! The footwear here is high heeled, traditional dancing shoes, rather than the clogs seen in the previous image (although they do perform clog dances too). They Hexhamshire Lasses have been in existence for 20 years and their impeccable dress and display are testament to their dedication. Their musicians are impressive too!

A very low shooting angle was used here as I wanted to accentuate the height of their dance steps, as well as put them in context with the venue. Using a focal length close to ‘standard’ has prevented distortion which could have occurred at this low angle. Again, I used Photoshop to selectively blur the background distractions in order to separate the dancers from the ‘clutter’.

Apart from the post processing needed, I think this image worked well – it captures the essence of this group – perfection in their pastime and sheer joy in its execution.

Martha Rhodens Tuppenny Dish

ISO-200, f/4.8, 1/2500 sec, 50 mm (75 mm EFL)

This team work closely with the Shropshire Bedlam (who’ll be seen later), performing ‘Border Morris’. They have been in existence for 40 years and perform their own interpretation of previously neglected dances, providing each other with musical accompaniment and support as they travel together to various displays.

I like this image, which is almost ‘cheeky’ but highlights the fact that every item of clothing is prepared and presented meticulously. Of all the ladies teams of the festival I think these are my favourite, mainly because of their obvious enjoyment of the craft but also of their easiness of working together. This shows a much more graceful side to the traditional ladies’ dances.

I used a low shooting angle and again, and a lens setting which produced no distortion - although the perspective has been shortened slightly. In this case I used a much wider aperture which meant much less post processing work as the background was already thrown out of focus. The backdrop of the cargo shed could be better, but I had to be in this position to catch the dance.

Fool’s Gambit Morris

ISO-200, f/11, 1/200 sec, 20 mm (30 mm EFL)

This group of young dancers performs a type of traditional Morris dance, usually danced by men. They are precise in their following of the dance steps and dress, so they’re preserving this type of dance as exactly as possible. Good for them. Personally I prefer a little more interpretation and excitement.

I think this image shows the exactness of their style, capturing them all in mid jump and all with an almost exact pose.

The relatively low shooting angle has accentuated their height from the ground well. I made the mistake of using a smaller aperture, which introduced a lot of distractions from the crowds and surroundings – this was treated using selective blurring in Photoshop, which I think produced a reasonable end result. There was also some distortion in the original image, but cropping and some perspective adjustment corrected this.

Shropshire Bedlam 1

ISO-200, f/11, 1/100 sec, 200 mm (300 mm EFL)

The next images are of this exciting, energetic group of dancers who perform a really masculine dance which is loud, fast and macho. This image of the youngest member of th team captures the movement as they race past. Obviously this dancer was aware that I was photographing him, but it wasn’t a problem. It’s interesting to note the line of sweat running down his face. This style of dance is hard work!

Using a longer lens I’ve captured a more intimate moment of the dance. I wanted to capture some of the movement, but the speed of the dance meant that 1/100 sec was the best I could do while still keeping the subject in reasonably sharp focus. I’m not completely happy with this image – it’s not sharp enough due to the speed of the dancer. I could have changed my ISO setting or a wider aperture to allow a faster shutter speed, but that would have lost some of the movement. It’s one of those quandary moments, so I took the middle ground with reasonable focus and a degree of movement.

Shropshire Bedlam 2

ISO-200, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec, 170 mm (255 mm EFL)

The force exerted by the dancers as they clash sticks isn’t to be underestimated. They could do some serious damage. Catching the moment as the sticks are struck by members of the team and seeing the concentration and almost malevolence in the faces of the dancers wasn’t easy.

Choosing a low shooting angle from a reasonable distance caught this image. Here I wanted to freeze the action, so a much faster shutter speed was used. I enhanced the image using single frame tone mapping. Without the tone mapping his blackened face had little detail. I think this treatment worked well for this image.

Shropshire Bedlam 3

ISO-200, f/4.8, 1/1600 sec, 60 mm (90 mm EFL)

This image gives an indication of the energy of this group. I used to think the Morris dancers were somewhat effeminate until I saw these guys in action – They’re strong and fit and they mean business. Woe betides anyone who gets in their way. I kept a discreet distance!

Again the low shooting angle and relatively high shutter speed has captured this moment in the dance. I was unhappy about cutting out the feathers on the hat of the front dancer, but accepted this as the rest of the image was good. Catching this moment and every part of the dancers, bearing in mind the speed of the dance, would come down to luck in many cases. This is another image which I treated with single frame tone mapping, to bring out the detail in their faces and costume. I think the end result warrants the treatment.

Shropshire Bedlam 4

ISO-200, f/5.6, 1/400 sec, 135 mm (202 mm EFL)

The rigours of energetic dancing on a warm day have produced a lot of sweat which has washed the black from his face. His eyes are red from the salt and even the feathers and tassels of his costume seem to be flagging. But look at the happiness and satisfaction in his face. I think this is one of the best ‘moments’ I’ve captured in this set.

All I needed to do with this image was crop some of the background (too much building was showing).

Ouse Washes Molly Dancers 1

ISO-200, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, 200 mm (300 mm EFL)

Another blackened face from a member of this group from the fens. They have very different costumes – portraying their Sunday best or what to wear for a garden party, because traditionally these dances would be performed in their leisure time for entertainment. This troupe performs ‘molly’ dances which tell stories of murder and mystery. This is the leader of the group and he’s here waiting for their turn to perform. He’s watching every step of the team that’s now dancing with such concentration. The face black is fresh and unspoiled, without even a smudge on his spectacles – this won’t last long.

Picking his face out in the crowd, with other members of his team in the background, shows the seriousness of the show they’re going to perform. The show will be entertaining and enacted to a very high standard which only this kind of concentration will produce it. It’s a momentary prelude to a moment if you like!

I’m pleased with this image. I like the short depth of field and the subject’s separation from the background. All I needed to do was converting it from RAW and resize the image for the different media applications.

Ouse Washes Molly Dancers 2

ISO-200, f/3.8, 1/1000 sec, 24 mm (36 mm EFL)

Performing this dance (or tale) shows the dancers’ commitment to the art. They’re apparently charging off in different directions, but look at the precision – they’re all in perfect step, the directions of travel are exact (or they’d be running into each other) and they’re obviously enjoying what they’re doing.

I think the moment has been well caught, with all members off the ground. Another typr of moment is seen in their happy faces, while the street setting gives them a sense of time and place.

Although the depth of field in this image was relatively short, I still used Photoshop for selective blur in parts of the image, to reduce the impact of the crowd ‘clutter’. I’m still happy with the end result and I think the treatment shows the dance troupe to good effect.

The sequence of images has shown different groups performing their folk dances in different ways, but generally all to the same end and at the same event. Close up images of some of the players have helped show the dedication these dancers have to the tradition and to the enjoyment they obviously have in the performance. I’ve really enjoyed the experience.

Books and websites referenced during this section:

Books:

Angier, Roswell. 2007 – ‘Train Your Gaze’. 1^st edition, Switzerland, AVA Publishing

ISBN 2-940373-37-X

Fox, Anna and Caruana, Natasha. 2012 – ‘Behind the image’. 1^st edition, Switzerland, AVA Publishing. ISBN 978-2-940411-66-5

Freeman, Michael. 2004 – ‘Photographing people’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-20-0

Hedgecoe, John. 2004 – ‘Complete Guide to Photography’. 3^rd edition (first published 1990). UK, Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-119-3

Howarth, Sophie and McLaren, Stephen. 2011 – ‘Street Photography Now’. 1^st paperback edition (first published 2010). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28907-5

Langford, Michael; Fox, Anna; Sawdon Smith, Richard. 2010 – ‘Langford’s Basic Photography’. 9^th Edition (first published 1965). UK, Elsevier (Focal Press). ISBN 978-0-240-52168-8

Szarkowski, John. 2009 – ‘The Photographer’s Eye’. 4^th edition (first edition 1966). New York.

Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 978-0-87070-527-4

Websites:

Cruel and Tender: Photography and the real – teacher and guides’ kit – Available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/search/cruel%20and%20tender

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Nick Turpin on Street Photography:

http://www.sevensevennine.com/

[Accessed 9^th August]

Magnum Photos

http://www.magnumphotos.com/

[Accessed 18^th August]

Steve McCurry’s blog

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/

[Accessed 18^th August]

Photography Mad tips regarding standard lenses.

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/standard-lenses

[Accessed 21^st August]

Urban 75 advice on the rights of photographers

http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-street-shooting.html

[Accessed 12th September]

Photography Laws, Copyright and Trespass

http://stirlyn.co.uk/photography-laws-copyright-and-trespass/

[Accessed 12^th September]

Media:

Fasal Sheik’s website reference to his photograph ‘A camel for the son’

http://www.fazalsheikh.org/projects/a_camel_for_the_son/description.php

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Video of the book ‘Cruel and Tender: Photography and the real – low quality but a reasonable overview. Available from:

http://vimeo.com/channels/ls1/16978071

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Tate gallery – August Sander images

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sander-beggar-al00107

[Accessed 22^nd June]

History today – Don McCullin image of a Turkish Cypriot woman

http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2011/10/shaped-war-photographs-don-mccullin

[Accessed 23^rd June]

Cleary Gallery blog for Dorothea Lange image ‘Migrant Mother, Nippomo, California’, 1936

http://clearygallery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/photographic-mother-day.html

[Accessed 23^rd June]

Nick Turpin’s ‘Seven seven nine’ on Street Photography

http://www.sevensevennine.com/

[Accessed 13^th August] also the Insight film available from sevensevennine via Distrify at https://distrify.com/

Publications used in this section (not necessarily referenced in the texts but including those above):

Angier, Roswell. 2007 – ‘Train Your Gaze’. 1^st edition. Switzerland, AVA publishing SA

ISBN 2-940373-37-X

Badger, Gerry. 2010 –The Genius of Photography. 1^st edition. UK, Quadrille Publishing Ltd

ISBN 978-1-84400-609-0

Cotton, Charlotte. 2009 – ‘the photograph as contemporary art’. 2^nd edition (First published 2004). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20401-6

Dyer, Geoff. 2007 – ‘The Ongoing Moment’. First edition. USA, ISBN 978-1-4000-3168-9

Freeman, Michael. 2003 – ‘Light & lighting’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-21-9

Freeman, Michael. 2004 – ‘Photographing people’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-20-0

Freeman, Michael. 2006 – ‘The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography’.

1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN-10 1-904705-88-X

Hedgecoe, John. 2004 – ‘Complete Guide to Photography’. 3^rd edition (first published 1990). UK, Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-119-3

Howarth, Sophie and McLaren, Stephen. 2011 – ‘Street Photography Now’. 1^st paperback edition (first published 2010). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28907-5

Langford, Michael; Fox, Anna; Sawdon Smith, Richard. 2010 – ‘Langford’s Basic Photography’. 9^th Edition (first published 1965). UK, Elsevier (Focal Press). ISBN 978-0-240-52168-8

Shore, Stephen. 2007 – ‘The Nature of Photographs’. 2^nd edition. UK, Phaidon Press Ltd.

ISBN 978-07148-5904-0

Szarkowski, John. 2009 – ‘The Photographer’s Eye’. 4^th edition (first edition 1966). New York.

Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 978-0-87070-527-4

Learning Evaluation

I’ve really gained a lot from this section. Mainly in my confidence to photograph people and not feel as though I’m being the voyeur or feeling that I should obtain their permission before taking their image. Generally people don’t care about photographers being there (unless they’re an inconvenience).

I’m still happier using long lenses, where I can be a physical distance from them – I think people are more themselves when they’re unaware of the camera and the extra distance gives them more confidence too. There’s obviously still a place for the shorter lenses, particularly when placing the subject in context with their surroundings. Including the subject to the side of a wide angle lens means that they’re unaware of being in the frame, so that can be an advantage. Using the standard length lens was also a good exercise and it was useful to use it at the show event, as I didn’t have to consider what focal length to choose – it also has a wider aperture so there’s an easy opportunity to throw the rest of the image out of focus if required.

The public space exercise has brought it all together for me and I’m now quite comfortable taking people’s images without a second thought.

Exercise 2.07 – A public space

I grabbed the opportunity to use the beach between Sandsend and Whitby on a hot weekend towards the end of the summer, while there were still plenty of people around. I chose a time when the tide was high, so people were more concentrated in the areas of beach that were useable.

I used two cameras again: the D200 with 170 – 500 mm lens and the D300s with 18 – 200 mm lens. Fir this exercise I was able to use the tripod, which was an advantage when using the longer lenses. I took almost 600 images in 1.5 hours – without being shouted at, and without upsetting anyone (to my knowledge).

On the beach people tend to claim their own little areas to do their own things in (with a few exceptions) but they’re generally discrete groups of people and interesting to watch:

D300s, ISO 200, 36 mm (54 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/22, 1/100 sec.

With the lens at ‘standard’ setting there’s a realistic portrayal of the stretch of the beach towards Whitby. Many people use this stretch for walking, as can be seen in the nearest group and then again further up the beach. There are several types of walkers:

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

The long lens has shortened the perspective, but the focus of the lone walker separates her from the rest of the scene. She’s obviously walking for the opportunity to be alone. Her folded arms show that she wants no contact with anyone else. She’s hiding under her hood. This type of walking gives her the freedom to be alone with her thoughts.

D200, ISO 100, 340 mm (510 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6, 1/250 sec.

Here’s another type of walking – walking for the sake of the walking. There’s no attempt to look around to see what’s going on around her – just walking to get the required exercise. But she looks happy to be doing it, so no problem. She’ll be happy getting and staying fit and that’s reward enough. These long lens settings mean that the subjects can be a long way off and don’t realise they’re being photographed – easy for me!

D300s, ISO 200, 24 mm (36 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/4.5, 1/2000 sec.

Power walking and proud of it – another walk for the sake of the walking, but this time it’s more serious. There’s no sign of any enjoyment – it’s just something that needs to be done. The wide angle has distorted the walkers to some degree, but the perspective has lengthened the beach, making it look as though it stretches much further than it really does. Looking further along the beach there’s lots to be seen. Look at the people in the sea and look at the couple walking together for the enjoyment of the stroll – that’s what it’s all about for me!

D300s, ISO 200, 105 mm (157 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/1000 sec.

Walking the dog – and looking for a site to pitch the windbreak. What’s going on behind the walker has an impact on this image. It puts the walker into context of being a part of the many varied activities on the beach – all working together in their individual interests. It’s also quite clear that I’m invisible again!

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Walking to the surfing group with his kayak, this man is just getting on with what needs to be done in order to enjoy himself – a bit of deferred! The narrow depth of field and shortened perspective of this long lens works well to separate the subject from the background while the background gives him a sense of place.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/640 sec.

Now we move on from the walking to the surfing. I changed the shutter mode to high speed continuous shooting to make it easier to capture ‘the moment’. It’s the waves that make this image, but the thrill of the ride can be seen. I kept the ISO setting low to keep better clarity and the aperture fairly wide to allow a reasonably fast shutter speed – I was more interested in freezing the action for this image rather than one which showed the water movement, although that could have been an interesting option.

It was interesting to see the launching of the kayaks – they obviously had to be sealed up before entering the water so the canoeist had to seat himself in the kayak and seal the canopy on the beach, then wait for a wave to reach him – it looked quite comical seeing a fully kitted up man sitting in a kayak on a dry beach!

D200, ISO 100, 360 mm (540 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/1000 sec.

Long lenses are needed to get this close to the action. The shutter speed has frozen the water into what looks like plastic. The surfer’s concentration and grip on his paddle are evident here as he takes on board what appears to be a wall of water. It looks as though there’s a real buzz to be had from this sport – more than can be seen on the usual surf board.

D200, ISO 100, 360 mm (540 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Looking back onto the beach we now see the family day out, with mother helping the daughter in the finer points of mining. Again, the long lens allows close up images without the subjects being aware that they’re being photographed – not that it matters when the photographer is invisible, but it’s best not to risk upsetting people!

This kind of activity is what the majority associate with a day on the beach, along with the windbreaks, buckets and spades and real sand sandwiches.

D200, ISO 100, 380 mm (570 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/250 sec.

These two are using chipping hammers – usually used for fossil hunting – to vary their mining techniques. This is an unusual application, but it’s all part of the family day out. Just good clean(ish) fun. The moment of impact has been caught as the hammer displaces the wet sand.

D300s, ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/1250 sec.

Beach barbecues are another feature. This image captures a small part of what was a fairly high level, with champagne and a serious cooking fest. Everyone totally engrossed in their own interactions and not at all interested in the camera or anyone else come to that.

D200, ISO 100, 400 mm (600 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Here’s another barbecue, but at a much more personal level. This is the place to go for a barbecue if you don’t have a garden and this couple certainly seemed to be enjoying it. No fuss. No overt display. They’re just enjoying the experience together. They brought out a couple of cans later and enjoyed their efforts.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

So this is the beach where you can be free to do almost anything you like. Inhibitions seem to disappear because you’re in your own little world, doing what you want to do. I think this image shows that freedom and peace of mind. The out of focus background figures enhance this, leaving the subject the only significant person on the beach.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/400 sec.

Here’s that captured moment – Father and daughter enjoying each other’s company as they walk in the sea. There’s enough suggested detail in the background to show the place, so they’re placed in context and their smiles say it all. There’s nowhere like the beach when the weather’s fine!

I’ve really enjoyed this exercise. Being so invisible or inconsequential to others on the beach has been quite an eye opener. The ease of capturing these images has really surprised me.

Exercise 2.06 – An organized event

As mentioned in the previously, I used the Egton Agricutural Show as this exercise.

When photographing a public event it’s essential to plan the shoot. Reading ‘Behind the image’ by Anna Fox / Natasha Caruana, many aspects of the planning are described. Of relevance to this exercise, the following topics need to be addressed:

· Topic or theme – in this case, people and what they are doing.

· Approach and methods – I’ll try to blend in with the crowds and use the cameras hand held (tripods wouldn’t work for this close contact / candid photography)

· Timetable – I downloaded the show schedule to determine the opening times of the grounds and tents to the public. Arriving when the tents were still closed for judging would restrict the possible situations, also there would be less people attending the show until the opening of these areas. Arriving too late would make parking difficult.

· Having a local knowledge of the event (I’ve shown livestock at previous shows, many years ago) means that I have a fairly good idea what’s going to be available to me, so research with the downloaded schedule should suffice.

· Reviewing / editing the images in an opportune moment on the camera will reduce the number of images to wade through when they’ve been downloaded, but will also give an indication of the viability of the ones that have been captured. The majority of the editing will be done at home.

· For this project I will require sharp images of the subject’s faces, so fairly fast shutter speeds are needed. I’ll use a relatively wide aperture with potentially increased ISO to attain this for the majority of images, but this will remain flexible as the day continues. I’ll be using the Nikon D300s in aperture priority, with the Nikkor 18-200 mm VR lens. The lens will be set in Active VR to allow hand held use with a long telephoto if required. Operating with this set up will help me merge into the crowd more easily and enable quicker response to candid images.

The final images are as follows:

Starting in the Arts and Crafts tent I came across this lady working with her silk flowers, oblivious to the people around her.

ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/125 sec.

I liked the way she was surrounded by her wares, with lots of colour. The wide aperture has caused her surroundings to be out of focus, while the subject herself is sharp. If she’d looked up it could have been a good portrait image, but the object was to have her unaware of being photographed.

This stall holder obviously knew one of the spectators.

ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/250 sec.

Again, the wide aperture has worked to separate the subject from her surroundings. It looks to be really happy to see this person. It’s a shame that there are items intruding into the image (the written page and the elbow) but not a lot could be done about it in these circumstances.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/160 sec.

Moving into a darker area within the tent, I increased the ISO, to allow better shutter speeds for the hand held camera. This image epitomizes the potter for me – no makeup, no hairstylist and clothes that could only be worn by a craft artisan!

ISO 200, 65 mm (97 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5, 1/500 sec.

Moving outside I passed some of the trade stands – this one selling walking canes. This young lady looks somewhat perplexed by the array available. I used the canes to provide a sense of place – They’re out of focus, but the subject is still reasonably clear. It’s a shame about her second head, but it’s difficult to get the perfect ‘clean’ image under these circumstances. I could clone the head out of the image if required.

ISO 200, 105 mm (157 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/400 sec.

Here’s a girl who’s happy in her work, selling wonderful looking baking. I still find it surprising that I can capture this type of image without being noticed, or without the subject objecting.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/320 sec.

I increased the ISO again to photograph in the Handicrafts tent. This lady was incredulous that the rosette was given to a fruitcake of that quality! There are so many experts at these events.

ISO 400, 112 mm (168 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/400 sec.

We have consternation again as the merits of the carved crooks are discussed. I like the way the older gentleman is so engrossed. The way he’s holding his hands accentuates his concentration as the younger man directs his gaze. By shooting with some crooks in the foreground it’s given some sense of place.

ISO 400, 65 mm (97 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5, 1/640 sec.

Moving into the ‘Small Livestock’ tent, judging is still taking place for some rabbit breeds. I took this image to show the judge working in his field, surrounded by the cages of the animals he is assessing. I should have been more careful with the framing and not cut off the top of his head – I was more interested in keeping him in context with his surroundings.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/640 sec.

I’m not sure of this man’s position in the show. He’s in the judging area, so he may be a judge, an official of the show, or an exhibitor. Whatever his position, he was holding forth with people in the public concourse and he seemed quite at home resting on the top of the cages.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/1250 sec.

I happened across this man on my way back to the car. He was competing in the ‘agricultural horses’ section in the main ring. I still had a high ISO selected from the handicrafts tent, but time was of the essence and it really was just a grab shot. I think this image captures the character of this showman and puts him in context with his horses.

It’s been an interesting day out and I’ve favoured long lens settings to get ‘close up’ images of the subjects. I’ve really surprised myself with the ease of capturing these portraits and gained lots of confidence in taking them.