Here I will document my thoughts about my progress through TAOP.
Reflection on the exercises will be documented within the text of the specific exercise and can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate link in the 'Index of posts' sidebar on the left of the page.
11/6/2012
Before we begin….
Having recently completed the Open University’s short course in Digital Photography (T189) I wanted to continue with a photography course that I could really get my teeth into.The Open College of the Arts offers just such a course in its BA(Hons) Photography degree. So having enrolled here I am, attempting to set up my reflective learning log in an approved blog format in order to record my progress through the course.
I say I’m doing the degree but in fact, that decision requires more than just my enthusiasm. My tutor will determine if I am capable of continuing on the degree pathway at the end of the first module ‘The Art of Photography’. Given that it’s taken me so long to work out how to set up the blog in its most basic form I think my learning curve is rather more vertical than I’d imagined. Well, I was looking for a challenge and hopefully the blog and I will evolve to meet requirements as the course progresses.
So far I’ve been impressed by tutor’s websites and existing student’s blogs, I’ve perused the course material and frightened myself on the OCA student forum. I still need to order the books from the reading list and set up a work area but I've made contact with my tutor and am really excited to get started.
17/6/2012
More tortoise than hare.
Actually getting started with the exercises has proved a little difficult after an exacerbation of my spinal condition left me bed-bound and drug addled for several weeks. Before even starting I had to re-negotiate the submission date for my first assignment to 30th June. But it means I've had plenty of opportunity to find my way round the OCA student web-site where it's easy to lose hours watching informative videos and looking at other student's worryingly good work. Many of them appear to have been extremely accomplished photographers for years before starting the course which I initially found a bit intimidating. Then I decided it was simply something to aspire to and that made me feel far more positive.
I attempted to start a learning log blog with Wordpress but find Blogger slightly easier to work on and even though it's taken ages to get this far I'm fairly happy with the basic set-up and look of the blog. I read somewhere in the Workbook blurb that photos are best viewed on-screen on a neutral grey back-ground so I decided to apply the same theory to the blog.
Meanwhile a slightly over enthusiastic attempt at mobilising exacerbated things and resulted in a further set-back of two weeks but I really don't want to delay things any longer or have to defer the assignment date again so now I'm up and about and ready to start the exercises. I'm lucky in that I have plenty of time to focus on the course-work so will hopefully catch up quickly. I've already been giving a lot of thought towards the first Assignment (which is based on contrasting images) and have some ideas. In the meantime on with the Exercises.
21/6/2012
Finally in forward gear.
21/6/2012
Finally in forward gear.
Well I was appalled to find myself stuck on the very first preliminary exercise but all eventually turned out ok. I expected to fly through these initial exercises much as my peers seem to have done so it was something of a reality check (and a knock to the confidence) to find that I really struggled to understand the maths and science behind focal length. But I'm feeling a bit more confident now that I know I do understand it. I'm just crossing my fingers that the next ones don't take me so long.
In addition to struggling with the theory I also struggled with the subject matter of the photos. In fact I did the same exercise many times using objects that held no interest for me just to try to complete it. Even though it gets the exercises done this left me very dissatisfied. However, I've decided that at the moment it's more important that I get the introductory exercises done than it is that I like the content of the photos. These initial practical exercises are to ensure that I'm familiar with my camera so I'll have to get used to taking photographs of the mundane. In this case the purpose is more important than the art!
It's fair to say that many lessons have been learned already.
24/6/2012
Blog re-do.
While searching the forum for advice on blogs as learning logs I noticed that the tutors/assessors kept reiterating that the blogs must be easily navigated. I also noticed that several students had been advised to change their blog to facillitate easier navigation to exercises, assignments etc. I realised that my own blog would benefit from a different arrangement and by using labels and categories so have spent some time re-doing it to incorporate these things. I.T. doesn't come naturally to me at all and the thought of having to alter the blog much later on when there's more content fills me with dread. I hope it's ok in its current format, at least to be going on with.
25/6/2012
Being realistic.
As I've previously noted I was reluctant to defer my first assignment submission date for a second time, fearing that it reflects badly on me and makes it look as though I lack committment. But on thinking this through I realised that rushing through the work was more indicative of lacking committment. This module and the course as a whole mean a great deal to me and I want to do things properly. So I've contacted my tutor and he was extremely supportive and has deferred the submission date to 20th July. He also pointed out that if I was stuck again he would be happy to help which is great. There is a lot of support available. There's a lot to get through between now and then but the rather large hurdles of debility and blog-set-up-ineptitude are receding into the past and I hope to proceed more evenly now.
26/6/2012
Temptation.
I lost my lens cap yesterday so that gives me a genuine reason to call into Jessop's when I visit the big city today. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
These visits for everyday items are fraught with danger. Everyone knows how easy it is to inadvertently spend hundreds of pounds that are needed for mundane things - like mortgages, bills and OCA fees. Don't they?
...later...
I'm pleased to say that self-control won. Camera shops are just like great big sweetie shops and the risk of gluttony is ever present. Over in one corner the lenses summoned me and it was fortunate that my allergy to all the noughts on the price tags asserted itself. I returned home carrying nothing more than a new lens cap and a remote shutter release button to try out my idea for the next exercise. It involves dogs so has a high chance of not going according to plan. I'm hoping it stops raining long enough to get outside for a while tomorrow to have a play with my new toy.
1/07/2012
The Six Ps
My dad always tells me 'P*** Poor Planning = P*** Poor Performance and yet again I've proved him right. Exercise 4 involved shooting moving objects at different shutter speeds. I decided that all I needed to do was throw a stick for the dogs and capture wonderful pictures of them racing past. As previously noted I've just bought a remote shutter release button and thought I'd have a play with it whilst producing fabulous action shots of the dogs. Clearly I forgot all about the Six Ps. In fact I neglected to think it through at all.
In the only half an hour that it hasn't rained for days here, I set up the camera and tripod so I had a nice view of the garden and began gaily throwing the stick. The dogs duly charged off after it with great enthusiasm. So far so good. I knelt behind the camera - never an easy task for me - and peered expectantly through the viewfinder. Having been taught to retreive thrown objects that's what they did. Straight back to me, face on, filling my field of view and so excited that the camera on its tripod and me on my knees were in serious jeopardy.
I tried with two sticks and succeeded in doubling the excitement and the danger to the camera and myself as the dogs competed to get the sticks.
After a few wobbles I decided to adopt a different approach and tried using the remote shutter release button. I reasoned that this would enable me to throw the stick from an angle, catching the dogs as they passed my field of view that I forgot I didn't have because I wasn't looking through the viewfinder. This was obviously not the type of situation in which one would use a remote shutter release button. More chaos ensued and I narrowly missed knocking the camera right over. As the torrential rain returned I gave up and moved inside to view my masterpieces. I have some shots of the garden with a blur of tails in the edge of the frame.
And a selection of out of focus abstracts as the whole set up wobbled and tipped in the rush of dogs. They remind me of how the garden looked when one had over-indulged on one's neighbour's not-so-kind gift of home-brewed fruity wines.
Time for plan B.
I shut out the rain and sought a less frenetic subject. I needed to recover, regroup and try again with something gentle. I wondered if the movement of the pendulum in the clock would be fast enough to illustrate the different effects of different shutter speeds. To my surprise it was. Revisiting the actual wording of the exercise I noted that it asked for movement rather than speed. As I've noted in the Reflections on the exercise I still experienced problems and should have positioned the camera using a focal length that allowed maximum aperture but again I have certainly learned from this exercise.
Although I think I learn more by getting it wrong in the first instance it's clear that a bit of planning goes a long way. There's really no need to get it quite so wrong! I must pay more attention to the Six Ps in the future. And read the instructions carefully.
11/06/2012
At Last!
Can you hear the fanfare? This is an Occasion - please note the capital O. I've finally posted the last exercise from the introduction. In truth I can't quite believe it's taken me so long. But I think it's achieved its goal of pushing me into understanding how my camera can be used in different situations and how the various settings work together. I've got a long way to go until it's second nature but I was chuffed to find myself adjusting the aperture, exposure and ISO by feel recently, instead of having to stop and search for the buttons.
The frustrating thing is that I can envisage the pictures I want but haven't yet been able to get out and try them. For instance I love the ghostly effect of slow shutter speeds and want to try something moody and ghostly in some of the impressive ancient border buildings and ruins that are close by. My friend is on standby to receive direction as the ghost. I think the secret is to practice, practice, practice on everyday things while planning for those rare times when she's available, the weather is acceptable and I can get out and try out my new found knowledge.
Overall although it's been a slow start I feel that I've been pretty thorough and I certainly have increased my knowledge of the dreaded technical side (albeit the basics) and knowing my camera. Now there are only a mere several hundred functions on it that I have no idea about. Discovering these things must have cost a fortune for film users although I bet it promoted rapid learning.
I wonder if I'm the only saddo to feel such a sense of achievement at this ridiculously early point? My tutor made a valid and encouraging point in a recent communication when he wrote ' 'Success' in education is the difference between where you start and where you finish - the bigger the difference the better. As long as you are moving in the right direction that's what matters.'
I like that thought. I'll paint it on my tortoise shell and keep plodding along.
Sound the trumpets again. It's time for Part One.
21/07/2012
Let there be light.
I've selected my choices for the first assignment even though I haven't posted up the rest of the exercises yet. I have done the exercises and have a selection of dreary and dull photographs that I really don't want to post. I've discovered that the thing that most inspires me to take photographs is the quality of the light. Give me a pretty dawn or twilight or a bright day and I'll happily play with my camera for ages. Or a blue sky to frame an interesting subject. But all we've had here for weeks on end is rain and greyness. Not even dramatic greyness. Just dull monotonous white / grey skies with dreadful light. I can't tell you how much I dislike taking photographs in such light (or lack of it). This is a recent discovery for me because until starting the course I only took photographs when the mood was upon me - which was obviously rarely given our climate!
Consequently I'm not over-enamoured with my available choice of photos for either the assignment or the exercises. I get so frustrated at my limitations because I find that the white sky is consistently overexposed while the ground is underexposed and I don't know how to combat it. I think there are filters for these things but I know nothing about filters or their use so that's something I'll be looking up. I planned a visit to Caerlaverock Castle with specific pictures in mind but the dull light and white sky got the better of me again. I decided to combat it with some post editing so armed with this;
I had a play with my Photoshop Elements programme that came as part of the package for my OU photography taster course. It promises the ability to correct just about everything and I'm sure it does if you have the right guide. Alas there is clearly a huge difference between versions eight and nine. Suffice to say that for now effective post editing remains beyond me. At least until the new book arrives. I love getting new books. I'm very aware that my reading of the recommended literature has yet to begin and do feel under pressure about this. I seem to spend so much time reading practical material at present that the historical aspects and learning about the work of other photographers has taken a back seat. When I peruse my peer's blogs I am concerned at the depth of reading and analysis of work and exhibitions that they've attended. For me these very early stages have been about practicalities. But I see no sense in getting myself bogged down in theoretical concepts and critical analyses until I have a firm foundation in the practical requirements. Which, I'm relieved to say is happening. The very fact that I'm now thinking of other people's work and wanting to investigate further indicates to me that I'm ready to do so.
I've found that forum discussion raises the names of photographers that are new to me and I often look up their work as a result. Robert Maplethorpe was discussed recently http://www.mapplethorpe.org/ . I can see that starting to consider works such as this is going to be very time consuming. A simple ' I like ' or otherwise is a waste of time. I intend to start making notes of my impressions and hope to get much more organised in my studies with dedicated reading time. My family and friends have been warned!
One of my main worries is the amount of time I spend trying to progress my blog. I'm not sure that I'm capable of meeting the IT needs to run a blog in this manner. I spend literally hours trying to achieve simple tasks, frequently without success. For example I've been trying to use jump breaks and links in 'pages'. I can set them up no problem in 'posts' but not in pages. So I can't get the blog to do what I want it to do. I'm not naturally a negative person but the frustration at my inability is really mounting. There is some satisfaction in what I've managed to do so far though so that's what I'll try to focus on.
08/11/2012
All Change.
For a few months there life, death and bereavement got in the way. This seemed to have a disastrous effect on my photography. Until very recently I've had no desire to even lift the camera let alone do the exercises. In fact I particularly didn't want to do the exercises and started feeling a bit negative about the course. Having reflected on this I came to a few conclusions. There are some aspects of studying photography at degree level that I find myself in conflict with. Having followed the 'Landscape' debate on the OCA and Flickr forums I have no desire to produce the type of 'contemporary' work that seems to be required. There is much criticism of 'chocolate box' images and much accolade for what to me are bland urban scenes. They may well be technically brilliant and do a great job of contextualising the photographer's journey and narrative whilst documenting contempraneous society, but that isn't where I want to go with my own photography. I make no apology for liking images that show the beauty of the countryside, colourful sunsets etc. but neither do I expect to have to apologise for my personal preferences. It seems that those who like aesthetically 'pretty' photos (particularly traditional type landscapes) are almost dismissed as lacking vision. Indeed during the debate a number of students of several years experience 'admitted' to liking such photos and having been reluctant to do so. Whilst I embrace the encouragement to consider different contexts and concepts within photography I find the pressure to conform to a specific attitude rather overbearing. I haven't studied the subject so my opinions are no doubt ill informed but in truth, at this point in time, I have no desire to become well educated in the academic discourse of photography, unless I can accommodate my own interests within that dialogue. I find myself disinterested in the analysis and debate of certain aspects of the subject that are part and parcel of degree level study. Given that I've studied previously up to Masters level I knew what to expect and am surprised by this reaction. But the truth is that I simply want to be artistically able to see and technically able to capture the things I like. This doesn't bode well for the degree.
Despite my photograhy 'block' I've carried on with my writing and having completed my Diploma in Creative Writing with the OU I found that I was really missing the structure of a writing course. The OCA offer a number of Writing Courses and after some discussion with the Academic Services Advisors it seemed that changing my pathway to a Creative Arts degree was the answer. This would enable me to combine writing and photography. However this became complicated by the fact that although I was able to APCL access to level two writing I wasn't allowed to study level two whilst studying level one photography.
After lots of discussion I decided to swap my pathway altogether and study formally for a Creative Writing degree. All of the aspects of degree level study that I'm not interested in when related to photography are aspects that really motivate me in creative writing, confirming that I've made the right decision here.
I'm continuing with my photography but as I'm not allowed to go for formal assessment with it while following a different degree pathway it will just be for personal development. This means that my tutor continues to feedback on my assignment work but it doesn't get submitted for formal assessment. It also means I'm free to pick and choose any photography modules I fancy rather than being restricted to a specific pathway.
In addition to feeling more optimistic and creative in general, this has immediately made me feel much more positive towards my photography and I agree with my tutor's suggestion that taking out the formal assessment side may enhance my enjoyment of it.
So that's where I am right now. Let's see what happens next.
16/03/2013
Motivated.
After months of inactivity on the photography front my tutor contacted me a little while ago and very gently suggested that I might have 'drifted' a little. I think he might be the epitome of the understatement. I agreed that I'd drifted right away over the horizon and was lost in the photography doldrums. He set a date for submission of Assignment 2 (12th March) and despite my suggestion, refused to threaten violence if I didn't make it.
I set to and worked through the exercises in Elements of Design only to find that once again I was simply going through the motions. I needed a subject that stimulated me. I started taking photos of shadows, working in black and white as suggested and found myself becoming enthused again. I felt that these shadow photos were too one dimensional for the assignment and sought a new subject. I decided to consciously embrace the fact that my work won't be assessed and use the assignments as opportunities to learn exactly what I want to learn. Which is how to control the camera in order to translate the images I have in mind into physical photographs. It's taken me an awfully long time to identify that simple goal in relation to assignments but having identified it I proceeded to experiment.
I wanted to use a model to illustrate the elements required and had fairly clear ideas of the shots I wanted. The process is discussed in the text that accompanies Assignment 2 .
The outcome was disappointing and frustrating but I decided that these images were exactly what I wanted to learn about. I wanted to produce what was in my mind and wasn't technically competent enough to do so, and couldn't identify what I was doing wrong. I decided to submit them knowing that they were technically poor and see what happened.
What happened was that I discovered that my tutor is a great teacher. He has spent a great deal of time identifying the problems and guiding me towards information, answers and tools that will expand my knowledge and ability. Where I thought he might suggest I was way out of my depth, (which I knew I was and the suggestion would have been entirely justified) instead he has been completely supportive and encouraging. He seems to 'get' me. His response and input following my submission have resulted in my being extremely motivated and excited to continue.
So much so that I am struggling to tolerate the wait until my model is available for a re-shoot. Meantime there is so much to work through, not the least of which is tackling the dreaded (and long avoided) IT skills and starting an organised workflow.
My tutor suggested looking at the work of Jo Spence. I had never heard of her. Now, having made preliminary on-line enquiries I'm eagerly awaiting the postman. Why isn't there a post on Sundays? I have to wait until next week. After months of disinterest and inactivity how ironic that I'm now raring to go and having to wait. But how wonderful to feel motivated and enthused again.
18/09/2013
Giving myself a stern talking to.
I am really having to force myself back onto the blog. I've tried to work out why I'm struggling and failing to engage with the course work and can't identify a specific reason. I have been very preoccupied with getting lots of building work done around my house in order to be able to manage the outside areas myself instead of having to pay someone to do it for me, as well as getting an easily managed set up to get my horses back home from the very expensive livery stables. This has taken most of the year but is now done so at last I have some relief from the worries of the previous financial demands which I think were constantly overwhelming any creative urges.
Although when I actually get my finger out and broach the subject I invariably find myself really enthused, I have also found that the longer I go without addressing the coursework, the harder it is to return to it. I've never had this type of problem before with my studying and I know that I'm a deadline person. The flexibility of the OCA model facilitates prevarication on my part and I really need to develop some self discipline. I've realised that this lack of self discipline results in a lack of respect for my tutor and his own time-table and I regret that I have failed to consider him, for which I'm embarrassed and ashamed. So I enter a vicous circle of avoiding the course which makes me feel worse. So I have a choice; I can use these negative emotions to be either more withdrawn from the course ( coward's option) or to slap myself into being proactive and showing some long overdue respect for my tutor. I'm aiming for the latter.
With regard to the previous assessment and my tutor's advice I was recently able to get my model back for a redo. I was extremely disappointed with the outcome which had pretty much the same problems as the initial attempt. I had really worked on my tutor's feedback, reading up about lighting etc but still had the focusing problem. This was a real blow and I have the dilemma of whether to temporarily abandon the idea and return to it later or to keep trying until I get it right. I feel that I should nail it before moving on but the reality is that to do so is contributing to my stall. I've decided to continue with the exercises and work towards Assignment 4. I will revisit Assignment 3 alongside Assignment 5 which is about lighting and might help. Being too ambitious is proving to be be too frustrating at the moment but I am utterly determined that I will ultimately be able to achieve the shots I envisage so I must learn to curb my frustration and keep learning.
So today is Wednesday the eighteenth of September. By next Wednesday I will have completed the exercises for Part 3 Colour. I have actually already done the first few but never got round to updating the blog so will ensure that I do so. I recently wrote on my other blog (Solway Scribbles) about how much I dislike good intentions. So this is not a good intention. This is simply how it will be.
01/10/2013
Stop running, start walking.
I'm getting there but slightly behind schedule because one of my much loved dogs Tess died unexpectedly last week, resulting in my part in a massive loss of enthusiasm for everything, never mind the photography. I should have remembered that 'Man plans, God laughs' when I blithely set my goal.
In between the exercises I've still been trying to work out where I'm going wrong with my assignment 2 photography. I find that I can't just leave it and move on. It has become the proverbial 'thorn in my side'. I've read so many books on lighting that I decided there was more to it than that. When I totted up the cost of the studio equipment that these tomes suggested I needed in order to achieve my aims I fainted. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but it was certainly a non-starter. I decided to identify exactly the specifics of what I'm not happy with in the photo's. These are:
I got out my 'for dummies' book and made some interesting discoveries that I should have known but didn't.
I had used a mixture of using the viewfinder and using the Live View function in an effort to see what the resulting photo would look like. I was also using a remote shutter cable and tripod for the long exposures. I was also using the one-shot auto-focus as despite having my eyes tested I'm not sure of my manual focusing ability, although in desperation I'd tried this as well.
It seems that using this mix is not appropriate with my camera. Apparently Live View causes a focusing trade-off. And in Live View autofocus and autoexposure are locked together. This explains why my camera kept refusing to take the shot I wanted, flashing the red warning light and not setting the focus where I wanted it. It turns out that Focusing via Live View is achieved via the AE button, not the shutter button. Focus has to be either set manually or by a convoluted procedure that involves re-setting the Autoexposure button via 3 different menus. Also autofocus isn't possible with remote control shooting. In addition there are two fairly complex options to set autofocus in Live View but they all cause other problems and the author suggests ' ....although this may seem like the easiest way to shoot in Live View mode, I suspect you'll find it is the least successful because of the length of time the camera needs to establish focus - assuming that it can do so at all' (Adair King 2009). This explains why the camera seemed to be erratic, taking some shots, not taking others and resulting in lots of out of focus shots. Furthermore using Live View for an extended period of time can increase image noise due to extra heat created by the mechanism.
In addition to this I found that I should have adjusted the viewfinder for my own eyesight which I hadn't previously done.
I'm pretty sure that discovering these things about my camera, things that I should have already known, will make a huge difference when I try a re-shoot. But I also found an excellent on-line video tutorial by photographer Glynn Dewis; http://digital-photography-school.com/get-an-invisible-black-background-to-your-portraits-shooting-anywhere-video (Rowse 2013).
Armed with this information I contacted my local camera shop and enquired about some basic lighting equipment. At the price I fainted again. I may still be exaggerating but further discussion was fruitful. and I had a little foray into the city. I returned home last night armed with some second hand equipment, namely a Canon Speedlight Transmitter and a Canon Speedlight 430EX flash and a small softbox that fits over the flash. I thought these were a good price but when I checked the new price I discovered that they were an excellent price and with 6 months guarantee. I'm really delighted with my purchase.
I had a quick play, following the directions in the video, not expecting much because I don't yet have an umbrella or the instructions for the transmitter. I used Rolf as my model. Like me he is mourning his companion and although I may be anthropomorphising I think these shots convey something of that mood and atmosphere.
Plenty to criticise here but it's work in progress and for a quick dabble I'm quite excited at the results. Now we're getting somewhere. I hope that along with more understanding of my camera, this method with a slightly more refined and directed flash will get the pictures that I've been trying to get. Now I just have to wait for my model to be available and I'll try the umpteenth re-shoot of Assignment 2.
References.
Adair King J. (2009) Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D for Dummies. Wiley Publishing Inc. Hoboken. New Jersey. USA.
Rowse D (2013) Get an Invisible Black Background to Your Portraits – Shooting Anywhere [VIDEO] Available at http://digital-photography-school.com/get-an-invisible-black-background-to-your-portraits-shooting-anywhere-video Accessed September 2013.
In addition to struggling with the theory I also struggled with the subject matter of the photos. In fact I did the same exercise many times using objects that held no interest for me just to try to complete it. Even though it gets the exercises done this left me very dissatisfied. However, I've decided that at the moment it's more important that I get the introductory exercises done than it is that I like the content of the photos. These initial practical exercises are to ensure that I'm familiar with my camera so I'll have to get used to taking photographs of the mundane. In this case the purpose is more important than the art!
It's fair to say that many lessons have been learned already.
24/6/2012
Blog re-do.
While searching the forum for advice on blogs as learning logs I noticed that the tutors/assessors kept reiterating that the blogs must be easily navigated. I also noticed that several students had been advised to change their blog to facillitate easier navigation to exercises, assignments etc. I realised that my own blog would benefit from a different arrangement and by using labels and categories so have spent some time re-doing it to incorporate these things. I.T. doesn't come naturally to me at all and the thought of having to alter the blog much later on when there's more content fills me with dread. I hope it's ok in its current format, at least to be going on with.
25/6/2012
Being realistic.
As I've previously noted I was reluctant to defer my first assignment submission date for a second time, fearing that it reflects badly on me and makes it look as though I lack committment. But on thinking this through I realised that rushing through the work was more indicative of lacking committment. This module and the course as a whole mean a great deal to me and I want to do things properly. So I've contacted my tutor and he was extremely supportive and has deferred the submission date to 20th July. He also pointed out that if I was stuck again he would be happy to help which is great. There is a lot of support available. There's a lot to get through between now and then but the rather large hurdles of debility and blog-set-up-ineptitude are receding into the past and I hope to proceed more evenly now.
26/6/2012
Temptation.
I lost my lens cap yesterday so that gives me a genuine reason to call into Jessop's when I visit the big city today. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
These visits for everyday items are fraught with danger. Everyone knows how easy it is to inadvertently spend hundreds of pounds that are needed for mundane things - like mortgages, bills and OCA fees. Don't they?
...later...
I'm pleased to say that self-control won. Camera shops are just like great big sweetie shops and the risk of gluttony is ever present. Over in one corner the lenses summoned me and it was fortunate that my allergy to all the noughts on the price tags asserted itself. I returned home carrying nothing more than a new lens cap and a remote shutter release button to try out my idea for the next exercise. It involves dogs so has a high chance of not going according to plan. I'm hoping it stops raining long enough to get outside for a while tomorrow to have a play with my new toy.
1/07/2012
The Six Ps
In the only half an hour that it hasn't rained for days here, I set up the camera and tripod so I had a nice view of the garden and began gaily throwing the stick. The dogs duly charged off after it with great enthusiasm. So far so good. I knelt behind the camera - never an easy task for me - and peered expectantly through the viewfinder. Having been taught to retreive thrown objects that's what they did. Straight back to me, face on, filling my field of view and so excited that the camera on its tripod and me on my knees were in serious jeopardy.
After a few wobbles I decided to adopt a different approach and tried using the remote shutter release button. I reasoned that this would enable me to throw the stick from an angle, catching the dogs as they passed my field of view that I forgot I didn't have because I wasn't looking through the viewfinder. This was obviously not the type of situation in which one would use a remote shutter release button. More chaos ensued and I narrowly missed knocking the camera right over. As the torrential rain returned I gave up and moved inside to view my masterpieces. I have some shots of the garden with a blur of tails in the edge of the frame.
And a selection of out of focus abstracts as the whole set up wobbled and tipped in the rush of dogs. They remind me of how the garden looked when one had over-indulged on one's neighbour's not-so-kind gift of home-brewed fruity wines.
Time for plan B.
I shut out the rain and sought a less frenetic subject. I needed to recover, regroup and try again with something gentle. I wondered if the movement of the pendulum in the clock would be fast enough to illustrate the different effects of different shutter speeds. To my surprise it was. Revisiting the actual wording of the exercise I noted that it asked for movement rather than speed. As I've noted in the Reflections on the exercise I still experienced problems and should have positioned the camera using a focal length that allowed maximum aperture but again I have certainly learned from this exercise.
Although I think I learn more by getting it wrong in the first instance it's clear that a bit of planning goes a long way. There's really no need to get it quite so wrong! I must pay more attention to the Six Ps in the future. And read the instructions carefully.
11/06/2012
At Last!
Can you hear the fanfare? This is an Occasion - please note the capital O. I've finally posted the last exercise from the introduction. In truth I can't quite believe it's taken me so long. But I think it's achieved its goal of pushing me into understanding how my camera can be used in different situations and how the various settings work together. I've got a long way to go until it's second nature but I was chuffed to find myself adjusting the aperture, exposure and ISO by feel recently, instead of having to stop and search for the buttons.
The frustrating thing is that I can envisage the pictures I want but haven't yet been able to get out and try them. For instance I love the ghostly effect of slow shutter speeds and want to try something moody and ghostly in some of the impressive ancient border buildings and ruins that are close by. My friend is on standby to receive direction as the ghost. I think the secret is to practice, practice, practice on everyday things while planning for those rare times when she's available, the weather is acceptable and I can get out and try out my new found knowledge.
Overall although it's been a slow start I feel that I've been pretty thorough and I certainly have increased my knowledge of the dreaded technical side (albeit the basics) and knowing my camera. Now there are only a mere several hundred functions on it that I have no idea about. Discovering these things must have cost a fortune for film users although I bet it promoted rapid learning.
I wonder if I'm the only saddo to feel such a sense of achievement at this ridiculously early point? My tutor made a valid and encouraging point in a recent communication when he wrote ' 'Success' in education is the difference between where you start and where you finish - the bigger the difference the better. As long as you are moving in the right direction that's what matters.'
I like that thought. I'll paint it on my tortoise shell and keep plodding along.
Sound the trumpets again. It's time for Part One.
21/07/2012
Let there be light.
I've selected my choices for the first assignment even though I haven't posted up the rest of the exercises yet. I have done the exercises and have a selection of dreary and dull photographs that I really don't want to post. I've discovered that the thing that most inspires me to take photographs is the quality of the light. Give me a pretty dawn or twilight or a bright day and I'll happily play with my camera for ages. Or a blue sky to frame an interesting subject. But all we've had here for weeks on end is rain and greyness. Not even dramatic greyness. Just dull monotonous white / grey skies with dreadful light. I can't tell you how much I dislike taking photographs in such light (or lack of it). This is a recent discovery for me because until starting the course I only took photographs when the mood was upon me - which was obviously rarely given our climate!
Consequently I'm not over-enamoured with my available choice of photos for either the assignment or the exercises. I get so frustrated at my limitations because I find that the white sky is consistently overexposed while the ground is underexposed and I don't know how to combat it. I think there are filters for these things but I know nothing about filters or their use so that's something I'll be looking up. I planned a visit to Caerlaverock Castle with specific pictures in mind but the dull light and white sky got the better of me again. I decided to combat it with some post editing so armed with this;
I've found that forum discussion raises the names of photographers that are new to me and I often look up their work as a result. Robert Maplethorpe was discussed recently http://www.mapplethorpe.org/ . I can see that starting to consider works such as this is going to be very time consuming. A simple ' I like ' or otherwise is a waste of time. I intend to start making notes of my impressions and hope to get much more organised in my studies with dedicated reading time. My family and friends have been warned!
One of my main worries is the amount of time I spend trying to progress my blog. I'm not sure that I'm capable of meeting the IT needs to run a blog in this manner. I spend literally hours trying to achieve simple tasks, frequently without success. For example I've been trying to use jump breaks and links in 'pages'. I can set them up no problem in 'posts' but not in pages. So I can't get the blog to do what I want it to do. I'm not naturally a negative person but the frustration at my inability is really mounting. There is some satisfaction in what I've managed to do so far though so that's what I'll try to focus on.
08/11/2012
All Change.
For a few months there life, death and bereavement got in the way. This seemed to have a disastrous effect on my photography. Until very recently I've had no desire to even lift the camera let alone do the exercises. In fact I particularly didn't want to do the exercises and started feeling a bit negative about the course. Having reflected on this I came to a few conclusions. There are some aspects of studying photography at degree level that I find myself in conflict with. Having followed the 'Landscape' debate on the OCA and Flickr forums I have no desire to produce the type of 'contemporary' work that seems to be required. There is much criticism of 'chocolate box' images and much accolade for what to me are bland urban scenes. They may well be technically brilliant and do a great job of contextualising the photographer's journey and narrative whilst documenting contempraneous society, but that isn't where I want to go with my own photography. I make no apology for liking images that show the beauty of the countryside, colourful sunsets etc. but neither do I expect to have to apologise for my personal preferences. It seems that those who like aesthetically 'pretty' photos (particularly traditional type landscapes) are almost dismissed as lacking vision. Indeed during the debate a number of students of several years experience 'admitted' to liking such photos and having been reluctant to do so. Whilst I embrace the encouragement to consider different contexts and concepts within photography I find the pressure to conform to a specific attitude rather overbearing. I haven't studied the subject so my opinions are no doubt ill informed but in truth, at this point in time, I have no desire to become well educated in the academic discourse of photography, unless I can accommodate my own interests within that dialogue. I find myself disinterested in the analysis and debate of certain aspects of the subject that are part and parcel of degree level study. Given that I've studied previously up to Masters level I knew what to expect and am surprised by this reaction. But the truth is that I simply want to be artistically able to see and technically able to capture the things I like. This doesn't bode well for the degree.
Despite my photograhy 'block' I've carried on with my writing and having completed my Diploma in Creative Writing with the OU I found that I was really missing the structure of a writing course. The OCA offer a number of Writing Courses and after some discussion with the Academic Services Advisors it seemed that changing my pathway to a Creative Arts degree was the answer. This would enable me to combine writing and photography. However this became complicated by the fact that although I was able to APCL access to level two writing I wasn't allowed to study level two whilst studying level one photography.
After lots of discussion I decided to swap my pathway altogether and study formally for a Creative Writing degree. All of the aspects of degree level study that I'm not interested in when related to photography are aspects that really motivate me in creative writing, confirming that I've made the right decision here.
I'm continuing with my photography but as I'm not allowed to go for formal assessment with it while following a different degree pathway it will just be for personal development. This means that my tutor continues to feedback on my assignment work but it doesn't get submitted for formal assessment. It also means I'm free to pick and choose any photography modules I fancy rather than being restricted to a specific pathway.
In addition to feeling more optimistic and creative in general, this has immediately made me feel much more positive towards my photography and I agree with my tutor's suggestion that taking out the formal assessment side may enhance my enjoyment of it.
So that's where I am right now. Let's see what happens next.
16/03/2013
Motivated.
After months of inactivity on the photography front my tutor contacted me a little while ago and very gently suggested that I might have 'drifted' a little. I think he might be the epitome of the understatement. I agreed that I'd drifted right away over the horizon and was lost in the photography doldrums. He set a date for submission of Assignment 2 (12th March) and despite my suggestion, refused to threaten violence if I didn't make it.
I set to and worked through the exercises in Elements of Design only to find that once again I was simply going through the motions. I needed a subject that stimulated me. I started taking photos of shadows, working in black and white as suggested and found myself becoming enthused again. I felt that these shadow photos were too one dimensional for the assignment and sought a new subject. I decided to consciously embrace the fact that my work won't be assessed and use the assignments as opportunities to learn exactly what I want to learn. Which is how to control the camera in order to translate the images I have in mind into physical photographs. It's taken me an awfully long time to identify that simple goal in relation to assignments but having identified it I proceeded to experiment.
I wanted to use a model to illustrate the elements required and had fairly clear ideas of the shots I wanted. The process is discussed in the text that accompanies Assignment 2 .
The outcome was disappointing and frustrating but I decided that these images were exactly what I wanted to learn about. I wanted to produce what was in my mind and wasn't technically competent enough to do so, and couldn't identify what I was doing wrong. I decided to submit them knowing that they were technically poor and see what happened.
What happened was that I discovered that my tutor is a great teacher. He has spent a great deal of time identifying the problems and guiding me towards information, answers and tools that will expand my knowledge and ability. Where I thought he might suggest I was way out of my depth, (which I knew I was and the suggestion would have been entirely justified) instead he has been completely supportive and encouraging. He seems to 'get' me. His response and input following my submission have resulted in my being extremely motivated and excited to continue.
So much so that I am struggling to tolerate the wait until my model is available for a re-shoot. Meantime there is so much to work through, not the least of which is tackling the dreaded (and long avoided) IT skills and starting an organised workflow.
My tutor suggested looking at the work of Jo Spence. I had never heard of her. Now, having made preliminary on-line enquiries I'm eagerly awaiting the postman. Why isn't there a post on Sundays? I have to wait until next week. After months of disinterest and inactivity how ironic that I'm now raring to go and having to wait. But how wonderful to feel motivated and enthused again.
18/09/2013
Giving myself a stern talking to.
I am really having to force myself back onto the blog. I've tried to work out why I'm struggling and failing to engage with the course work and can't identify a specific reason. I have been very preoccupied with getting lots of building work done around my house in order to be able to manage the outside areas myself instead of having to pay someone to do it for me, as well as getting an easily managed set up to get my horses back home from the very expensive livery stables. This has taken most of the year but is now done so at last I have some relief from the worries of the previous financial demands which I think were constantly overwhelming any creative urges.
Although when I actually get my finger out and broach the subject I invariably find myself really enthused, I have also found that the longer I go without addressing the coursework, the harder it is to return to it. I've never had this type of problem before with my studying and I know that I'm a deadline person. The flexibility of the OCA model facilitates prevarication on my part and I really need to develop some self discipline. I've realised that this lack of self discipline results in a lack of respect for my tutor and his own time-table and I regret that I have failed to consider him, for which I'm embarrassed and ashamed. So I enter a vicous circle of avoiding the course which makes me feel worse. So I have a choice; I can use these negative emotions to be either more withdrawn from the course ( coward's option) or to slap myself into being proactive and showing some long overdue respect for my tutor. I'm aiming for the latter.
With regard to the previous assessment and my tutor's advice I was recently able to get my model back for a redo. I was extremely disappointed with the outcome which had pretty much the same problems as the initial attempt. I had really worked on my tutor's feedback, reading up about lighting etc but still had the focusing problem. This was a real blow and I have the dilemma of whether to temporarily abandon the idea and return to it later or to keep trying until I get it right. I feel that I should nail it before moving on but the reality is that to do so is contributing to my stall. I've decided to continue with the exercises and work towards Assignment 4. I will revisit Assignment 3 alongside Assignment 5 which is about lighting and might help. Being too ambitious is proving to be be too frustrating at the moment but I am utterly determined that I will ultimately be able to achieve the shots I envisage so I must learn to curb my frustration and keep learning.
So today is Wednesday the eighteenth of September. By next Wednesday I will have completed the exercises for Part 3 Colour. I have actually already done the first few but never got round to updating the blog so will ensure that I do so. I recently wrote on my other blog (Solway Scribbles) about how much I dislike good intentions. So this is not a good intention. This is simply how it will be.
01/10/2013
Stop running, start walking.
I'm getting there but slightly behind schedule because one of my much loved dogs Tess died unexpectedly last week, resulting in my part in a massive loss of enthusiasm for everything, never mind the photography. I should have remembered that 'Man plans, God laughs' when I blithely set my goal.
In between the exercises I've still been trying to work out where I'm going wrong with my assignment 2 photography. I find that I can't just leave it and move on. It has become the proverbial 'thorn in my side'. I've read so many books on lighting that I decided there was more to it than that. When I totted up the cost of the studio equipment that these tomes suggested I needed in order to achieve my aims I fainted. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but it was certainly a non-starter. I decided to identify exactly the specifics of what I'm not happy with in the photo's. These are:
- The photo's lack sharpness.- Focus? Focal length? Aperture? Exposure? Movement of model/equipment? I've tried to address all of these issues to no avail.
- The focus is not as I want it.- Expectation? Camera issue? Competency issue? The latter two combined I think.
- The contrast is not there, resulting in bland tones. Lighting? Metering? I'm missing something but I don't know what. I want to achieve the desired effect in camera, not post production.
- The overall desired effect of moody and atmospheric black shadows and nicely lit hints of the model's body are entirely absent. Why? Because of all of the above.
I got out my 'for dummies' book and made some interesting discoveries that I should have known but didn't.
I had used a mixture of using the viewfinder and using the Live View function in an effort to see what the resulting photo would look like. I was also using a remote shutter cable and tripod for the long exposures. I was also using the one-shot auto-focus as despite having my eyes tested I'm not sure of my manual focusing ability, although in desperation I'd tried this as well.
It seems that using this mix is not appropriate with my camera. Apparently Live View causes a focusing trade-off. And in Live View autofocus and autoexposure are locked together. This explains why my camera kept refusing to take the shot I wanted, flashing the red warning light and not setting the focus where I wanted it. It turns out that Focusing via Live View is achieved via the AE button, not the shutter button. Focus has to be either set manually or by a convoluted procedure that involves re-setting the Autoexposure button via 3 different menus. Also autofocus isn't possible with remote control shooting. In addition there are two fairly complex options to set autofocus in Live View but they all cause other problems and the author suggests ' ....although this may seem like the easiest way to shoot in Live View mode, I suspect you'll find it is the least successful because of the length of time the camera needs to establish focus - assuming that it can do so at all' (Adair King 2009). This explains why the camera seemed to be erratic, taking some shots, not taking others and resulting in lots of out of focus shots. Furthermore using Live View for an extended period of time can increase image noise due to extra heat created by the mechanism.
In addition to this I found that I should have adjusted the viewfinder for my own eyesight which I hadn't previously done.
I'm pretty sure that discovering these things about my camera, things that I should have already known, will make a huge difference when I try a re-shoot. But I also found an excellent on-line video tutorial by photographer Glynn Dewis; http://digital-photography-school.com/get-an-invisible-black-background-to-your-portraits-shooting-anywhere-video (Rowse 2013).
Armed with this information I contacted my local camera shop and enquired about some basic lighting equipment. At the price I fainted again. I may still be exaggerating but further discussion was fruitful. and I had a little foray into the city. I returned home last night armed with some second hand equipment, namely a Canon Speedlight Transmitter and a Canon Speedlight 430EX flash and a small softbox that fits over the flash. I thought these were a good price but when I checked the new price I discovered that they were an excellent price and with 6 months guarantee. I'm really delighted with my purchase.
I had a quick play, following the directions in the video, not expecting much because I don't yet have an umbrella or the instructions for the transmitter. I used Rolf as my model. Like me he is mourning his companion and although I may be anthropomorphising I think these shots convey something of that mood and atmosphere.
References.
Adair King J. (2009) Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D for Dummies. Wiley Publishing Inc. Hoboken. New Jersey. USA.
Rowse D (2013) Get an Invisible Black Background to Your Portraits – Shooting Anywhere [VIDEO] Available at http://digital-photography-school.com/get-an-invisible-black-background-to-your-portraits-shooting-anywhere-video Accessed September 2013.
The structure is working well so far. It's particularly effective to separate the journal from the exercises and the reading as you have done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Clive,that's very reassuring.
DeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteIt's a good blog despite the trouble you had setting it up.
The journal was interesting and amusing. Hopefully blogger will let me comment again in the future, but it has a habit of kicking all my comments out :(
All the best with it all
Barry
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Barry. It's encouraging to get positive feedback.
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