Assignment Two: Tutor Feedback

 

My Response

My feedback for assignment two was mostly positive, with some helpful pointers for improvements on some images, and for future assignments. My tutor said that 'expressiveness through extrapolation of the basic requirements' was starting to be evidenced in some of my images; it is pleasing to know that I'm moving in the right direction, and my work is developing accordingly.

In the feedback for assignment one, my tutor suggested that my work for assignment two should be about ‘recognising these possibilities (the compositional structures) in the world while composing in the service of another idea’, but in this feedback noted that I had instead taken a different approach. To be honest, I thought that I was taking my tutors advice, and thought that I had taken the very direction suggested; it appears I may have misinterpreted my tutor's original statement.

Perhaps some of my images were too 'shape obvious'; even though I was keen not to simply arrange some still-life objects into various shapes, and instead set out to find them in the real world. I was mostly being guided by something mentioned in the course materials, about making the subject subordinate to the shapes/lines, so that the said shapes/lines are the first thing the viewer noticed. Judging by my tutor's comments on the individual images, he seemed to think the better pieces were the ones where the compositional structures were present, but not so obvious.

Single Point: This was one of my favourite images, but my tutor brought attention to the fact that the contrast between the sky and buildings caused a very light band at the top of the image, which is a distraction to the viewer. I'd definitely agree with this, and it is something I'll be careful with in future work.

Two Points: My tutor mentioned that this could be construed as five points, and this certainly occured to me during the making of the image, however I played it a bit risky and thought a viewer may simply view the bridge as a backdrop, rather than points in themselves. My tutor seems in two minds about this, so I suppose it could be taken either way, depending on who was viewing the image. He also remarked on the black line at the very top of the image due to the crop being distracting; I'd agree with this, but it is easily solved with another very small crop.

Several Points: My tutor found the oars pointing towards the swan's amusing! It certainly creates an element of interest in the image in my opinion.

Vertical and Horizontal Lines: I think this was my tutor's favourite image in the set, in the report he says: 

Vertical and Horizontal Lines is very atmospheric and is one of the images where the meaning, the narrative element, transcends the compositional structure rather than being subordinate to it. 

Excellent, a success! More like that in future please.

I'm very pleased with that comment, and seems to shed more light on our conflicting ideas of how the assignment should have been completed.

Diagonals: My tutor mentioned that he created a similar image as a first year photography student, and says:  'Again this is one of the images that transcends its overt purpose'. I can see what he means, in the sense that the diagonals help strengthen the composition of the image, but aren't the main focus. Instead the narrative and poignancy of the image is the focus.

Curves: Fits the bill of showing curves. It was mentioned that I should make sure I keep verticals vertical and horizontals level unless intentionally attempting to destabilise the viewer. It certainly wasn't intentional in this image, and just requires a little straightening in photoshop.

Distinct, Even if Irregular, Shapes: This was not one of my favourite images in the series, but seemed to go down very well with the tutor. I think it is worth quoting verbatim here:

'this is another one where, as I said above, you've noticed an element that’s taken the image further than just illustrating what was required; reusing the tracery as a frames within a frame to contain an iconic English church tower with fluttering flag.

This reminds me of the British Neo-Romantics such as John Piper, the Shell Guides, Britain’s post war recovery in the 50s, Graham Sutherland’s Coventry cathedral tapestry.

Along with the bench these images represent more, they’re metaphors for a whole host of feelings that they evoke.'

The frame within a frame technique is something I've used before, notably in the exercises for part one of the course. I think by this point in analysing my tutor's feedback I'm getting the gist of what he is looking for in this assignment - compositional structures as supporting elements to a strong narrative.

Implied Triangle 1: My tutor remarked that there was an element of narrative here.

Implied Triangle 2: 'because of the subject matter and its black and white tonality has a curious 50s feel to it that rather goes with Distinct, even if Irregular, Shapes'. 

That's the feeling that I get with this image too.

Implied Triangle 3: My tutor said that it demonstrates a triangle as a formal exercise. In this image I clearly wasn't looking to tell a story as much as I was wanted to accentuate the shape and half-timber design of the building.

Rhythm: My tutor said: 

'supplies an excellent stage for some narrative to develop upon, the bicycle hints towards that but perhaps an additional element is required, say someone walking into or out of the frame right to left'.

This image was my own take of Michael Freeman's image featured in the course materials, where I use a bicycle rather than a person. The idea of using a bicycle AND a person hadn't been considered by myself, and I purposely waited for the scene to be clear before taking the image. This was because I thought that too many elements in the frame would detract from the 'rhythm' idea. I can certainly see how a person walking right to left in this image would make it more active and give a greater sense of storytelling though.

Pattern: My tutor thought that the colourful balloons being portrayed in black and white made this image suffer slightly, and suggested including a part of the seller in the image. This is the exact problem I had pondered myself, and ultimately decided not to include the seller. I did take image with the seller included on the day though, so it will be easy to choose an alternative image.

Closing remarks:

'Overall all the images perform the overt function intended but some of them exceed that to become engaging images that are progressive in their own right and this is the direction we should be going in.'

This is very pleasing in the sense that all of my images were 'suitable', but that some went above and beyond the assignment brief in terms of storytelling and viewer engagement. This evidently means I'm moving strongly in the right direction, and I intend to focus strongly on narrative in assignment three.

Assignment Two: Elements of Design

 Single Point Dominating the Composition

20mm, f/11, 1/60, ISO 200

Bruges, Belgium

Climbing to the top of the Belfort in Bruges, it was difficult not to notice the prominent Church of Our Lady rising high amongst the surrounding buildings. I thought this would be an effective, if slightly risky interpretation of a single point dominating the composition. Risky, as the background is not plain like grass or water, and because of the tower’s elongated shape. These concerns are mitigated as I feel that from this viewpoint (and especially without the further distraction of colour), the mass of surrounding buildings takes on the function of a texture, rather than individual structures, and the eye is not immediately drawn to their detail. The upper part of the Church of Our Lady contrasts heavily against the light sky, and the vertical tower juxtaposed with the horizon is another graphical element which I feel instinctively draws the viewer’s eye. Even though it is not evenly proportioned like a house for example would be, I believe it is an object small and compact enough within the frame to qualify as a point. I have placed the point slightly off-centre to avoid a static composition, but not too close to the edge of the frame; an effect which I think would be too eccentric and difficult to justify for the nature of the image.

Two Points

95mm, f/8, 1/500, ISO 200

Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

On the day I took this photograph there were a lot of row boats and motor boats travelling up and down the river. My initial idea was to use two different types of boats as points in my image, but I then noticed that many of the large number of swans present were not shy about paddling near the boats. I then thought that using two different types of subject, a boat and a swan, for my two points would make for a more interesting image. Positioned on the bank of the river, I waited until a suitable opportunity presented itself. I knew that two points could imply a line to the viewer, and was keen to make this a diagonal rather than horizontal or vertical line, as this would give a more dynamic composition. In this particular image I decided to keep the bridge in the background to add a degree of context, but purposely cropped out the cars driving on the bridge as I felt these would be an unnecessary distraction. In terms of balance, both points are roughly the same distance from the edge of the frame, and the boat being the bigger point has the potential to upset the balance of the image; however I feel the white swan, although smaller, contrasts heavily against the darkness of the water, giving it extra compositional ‘weight’.  

Several Points in a Deliberate Shape

70mm, f/8, 1/500, ISO 200

Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

After moving on from my ‘two points’ image, I thought I could perhaps deal with ‘several points’ at the same time, due to the large number of objects on the water that day. I noticed a row boat with several swans nearby, and thought I could compose an image once a shape became apparent. I could see the two swans in the image above moving from left to right across the river and knew that they would shortly create a triangle formation with the row boat. Once all three elements had fallen into place, I burst shot several images. In post-production I picked the image shown above, as the oars of the boat were timed just perfectly, each pointing at a swan, reinforcing the triangle formation, with the Gestalt Law of Closure allowing the mind to complete the shape. I positioned the apex of the triangle near the top of the frame, partly to emphasise the boat’s movement away from the camera, giving an increased awareness of depth, and partly to avoid including distracting elements further along the river.

Combination of Horizontal and Vertical Lines

35mm, f/8, 1/200, ISO 200

Ironbridge, Shropshire

The horizontal and vertical lines in this image serve to bring to the viewer’s attention to the white building just off-centre in the frame. The many vertical and horizontal lines produce a feeling of stability, which is then infused into the subject matter; manmade objects that by their nature are desired to be very stable: railings, a bench, a house. In The Photographer’s Eye, Michael Freeman asserts that curved lines ‘make a more substantial contrast with straight lines than do the various types of straight lines among themselves’. I decided to incorporate that graphical idea into this image by including the bridge on the very left of the image. By pushing the bridge right against the edge of the frame the straight lines still dominate the composition, but they are discretely challenged by the curved line of the bridge, making the overall grounded and static image a little more active. The diagonals of the house roof also act in a similar although less substantial way to the curves.         

Diagonals

195mm, f/8, 1/400, ISO 200

Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

As I discovered in the exercises for this part of the course, diagonals are numerous as they often just depend on your own perspective of a straight line. For this image I chose a more literal depiction of diagonals, as I felt that the subject matter expressed diagonals so strongly. I purposely didn’t include a single complete deckchair, and instead chose to shoot varying portions of several. By doing this I think that the viewer’s attention is primarily focused on the diagonals, not the subject itself. What I like most about this image is the various types of diagonals, going in many different directions in the frame. This in itself keeps the viewer busy, while the canvas on the chairs, billowed by the breeze, creates curves which make the image even more active by contrasting strongly with the diagonals.  

Curves

55mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 200

Ironbridge, Shropshire

When I observed this scene, I realised that it ticked all of the boxes of how curved lines are useful. In The Photographer’s Eye, Michael Freeman states that curved lines have associations to do with being ‘gentle, flowing, graceful and elegant’, which while not being suitable for a busy city scene, suits this small village road particularly well. Curves are also particularly attractive when they undulate, and they also have a relationship to circles (three of which can be ‘seen’ in this image), giving an enclosing sensation. The ‘Law of Good Continuation’ is also at play here, as your mind fills in the missing parts of the curved line, which takes the form of a leading line, leading the viewer’s eyes through the scene.

Distinct, even if Irregular, Shapes

45mm, f/8, 1/400, ISO 200

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire

I was initially observing this scene as a potential image unrelated to this assignment. Thoughts of the assignment soon took over though, as I noticed the strong oblong shapes of the empty window panes, and the diagonal of the roof with which I knew I could create a triangle with the edge of the frame, particularly as the dark stones contrasted so well with the clear sky. I didn’t frame too closely here though as I also wanted to retain the triangular shape of the pointed roof section. The distant flag fluttering in the breeze also seemed like something I could work with, if I could contrast it. I lined the far building inside one of the window panes, letting the flag appear in the pane above. This window pane then serves as a sort of frame for the flag, and of the several images taken I selected one where the flag was just at the right angle to create two triangles with the edges of the window pane.

Implied Triangle 1

55mm, f/8, 1/320, ISO 200

Ironbridge, Shropshire

The concept of using the edges of the frame in combination with the subject matter to create shapes is something that really intrigues me, and my image above is inspired by Michael Freeman’s image printed on page 89 in the course folder. In my image there are two implied triangles approximating black and white. These shapes are created by the contrast of the dark foliage with the light sky, and by a close crop. I felt that this on its own would not make for an interesting image, so I included the power station chimneys, the vertical lines of which contrast with the diagonals elsewhere in the frame, making the scene more dynamic.

Implied Triangle 2

50mm, f/8, 1/640, ISO 200

Ironbridge, Shropshire

This image shows the sort of opportunity a photographer might miss if they weren’t thinking ‘geometrically’. I casually noticed the two workmen on ladders, then the ‘Law of Closure’ and ‘Law of Good Continuation’ came into play, and I noticed the triangle shape they created, the apex of which would be at the top of the roof of the house, with the horizontal part of the triangle being the barely visible portion of fence right at the bottom of the image. I think small details can also have a great subconscious effect on how a viewer perceives shapes and lines; for example the workman on the left is reaching up at the same angle as the perceived side of the triangle. This acts as a pointing line, helping the ‘Law of Closure’ to do its job. 

Implied Triangle 3

52mm, f/8, 1/250, ISO 800

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Inverted triangles are difficult to find, but when found the rewards in terms of dynamism in the image can be great. Here I noticed the distinct triangle with the apex at the bottom on this half-timbered building. This creates a conflict between the solid nature of a building, and the gravitationally unstable perception of an inverted triangle. I framed the shot carefully, attempting as much symmetry either side of the triangle as possible (which is very difficult with such an old and crooked building!) in order to emphasise the shape and make the triangle the primary thing the viewer notices.    

Rhythm

22mm, f/5, 1/400, ISO 800

Bruges, Belgium

Prior to this part of the course, if I were going to take an image of a repetitive feature, I probably would have done everything possible to exclude extra objects from the frame; I now realise that this would probably make for a dull and monotonous image. When I saw this row of windows as a potential image for ‘rhythm’, I looked for something I could include to break the rhythm. Someone had helpfully left their bicycle propped against the building, and thought this would be perfect for the job. I remembered the advice in the course materials to place the object to the right of the frame to allow the eye to establish the rhythm before noticing it. I think the bicycle works particularly well as its horizontal shape contrasts well with the mostly horizontal rhythm.

Pattern

110mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO 200

Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

I saw a balloon seller holding a huge bunch of helium balloons, and thought they would make an excellent candidate for ‘pattern’. I then found I had a dilemma; should I include the balloon seller in the image to add context, or keep strictly to the concept of the pattern exceeding the edges of the frame? After experimenting with my images in post-production I decided to not include the seller, as I felt it didn’t suggest the concept of ‘pattern’ as strongly as the chosen images does. Even though the balloons are all different shapes, as they are pushed together so closely it gives the impression more of texture than of a group of separate objects. This disorder also helps to create a more interesting image than would a carefully lined up row of balloons all of the same shape and design.

Meeting the Assessment Criteria

Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills

In this part of the course I have attempted to explore the concepts given while also implementing the techniques learnt in part one. Resources that have proved particularly helpful are Michael Freeman’s book ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ and Ben Long’s video course ‘Foundations of Photography: Exposure’. These, along with the course materials have helped me to think ‘geometrically’ while working the assignment, and I’ve found that I’ve looked at the world in a whole new way. I chose to present this assignment in greyscale, as this removes the added distraction of colour, helping to put across my intended concepts, focusing on line and shape.

Quality of Outcome

My aim in this assignment, as in the others is to present a high-quality, polished end product that demonstrates that I have learnt then applied the relevant techniques and concepts. I feel that I have communicated well my thought processes during the creation of each image, and justified the fairly wide range of subject matter I have used. Technically, I feel that I have been much more aware during this assignment; thinking in terms of lines and shapes has made me more likely to notice images that aren’t quite level, or objects within the frame that probably should have been cropped out.

Demonstration of Creativity

I was adamant that for this assignment I wasn’t going to gather a nice looking collection of objects and create a series of still-life images. Rather than create a literal interpretation of the assignment, I have attempted to find real world scenes where the concepts of shape and line are at play, and use them to create images where the subject is attractive but subordinate to the underlying geometric structure within the frame.  I find the psychology of viewing an image, and the collaboration of the eye and the mind extremely interesting, and I feel that I have successfully embodied those psychological processes into my images.

Context

As previously noted, my main areas of research in this part of the course have been ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ of which the supplied example images were very helpful at encouraging me to visually identity the discussed concepts. The ‘Foundations of Photography: Composition’ video course also goes into quite some detail about lines and shapes, and provided many examples that I could use as an imaginative springboard for creating my own images. I have taken on board my tutor’s advice about analysing the work of level 2 and 3 students, which is something I will continue to do for the remainder of the course.