Saturday 18 December 2010

Unit 310 Photo Editing Process

 
Starting Image adjusted for contrast only, I wanted the lens flare as I felt this was an important style requirement of the image which had a similar effect to the image from one of my influences, Unfortunately in the background there was a tree which is spoiling / intruding into the image, I couldn't move the car or the tree so the only option was to remove it in Photoshop, I would normally try and get the image right in camera, but sometimes there is no other way.

The final image 
After editing in Photoshop and about 12 layers each with a role to play from the simple cloning of the tree out to replicating the flare over the cloned areas, and finally importing another image section for the rear view mirror image.





Unit 310 Calendar Styles

 I'm at the to point were I have finalized my images and am now looking to import them into a calendar profile, I now have to decide which styles I like and want to use  and which images will go where.

I have a couple of options, the purist way would be to produce my own template in photoshop then send this to a printer (see Previous blog entry).... or the easy way would be to use an online printers template and just put my images into the one I like, I think this will be the way I will go, It's easier and probably quicker too.

There is a multitude of web based online printer companies out there such as Blurb or Bobs Books, right the way through to Tesco's, the two companies that I may be using is DS Colour Labs and Bob Book, both of these suppliers I have been using these for my photos and I am happy with their quality and turnaround of the products.

Here is the Bob Books online system:

With endless possibilities of layout options which you can amend to suit your wishes



DS Colour Labs has a similar system but has not the flexibility of design of Bob books, you cannot move image boxes around or resize the frames. but still a good option as it is quick and easy to produce quality images.




Saturday 11 December 2010

Joe Cornish

Whet to the Joe Cornish lecture held by Burton College last Wedneday evening,  It was a very enjoyable lecture  where he talked about his life as a photographer from his early beginnings to present. He talked about his influences, his passion and his reason for why he is a landscape photographer.

Joe spoke about his camera equipment and said that you don't have to have the kit to take good pictures! I disagree with him to some extent, my reasons are if the kit didn't mater then he wouldn't be lugging a rucksack full of equipment up a mountain he would have a point and shoot in his top pocket,  In my opinion I think he is partly right, you don't need kit to take a picture with good location, composition and lighting, however to take quality pictures you need the right kit to get resolution, tonal range, depth of field, sharpness on the image and colour rendition.

I think what came out of the lecture most was the time and dedication that is required to get the images he gets, he spends days or even weeks at one location just to get one shot with the right lighting and weather conditions. Here is a link to his Light and Land work which just says it all http://www.lightandland.co.uk/

It 's basically what 'Mr Steve' our lecturer said  which was confirmed by Joe, to get a good image you need the following key things
  • you need to know your equipment inside out, what it can and cannot do
  • you need the equipment to be able to do the job
  • you need to have commitment and passion 
  • you need to have the eye to see and compose images
  • you need to be in the right place
and the most important one in my opinion is 
  • Take pictures, when ever you can, practice, practice practice practice..... if you do this one thing everything else will fall into place.
Finally I think one of the things that came out of this lecture is the fact of time, if you go to a location and expect to get the same images quality as Joe they you will always be disappointed, or extraordinarily lucky, because this is his profession, he does this every day he is practiced in his craft (where as we play at it) and he does this every day, even on his 50th birthday.

Dedication!