10. Assignment 2; preparation

The subject I chose for this assignment is a location rather than a theme. The photographs were taken during two visits to the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. They are therefore a mixture of landscapes and details from the beach and the harbour.  The following selection is my 'shortlist' from all of the photographs I took. The next step is a final selection for the assignment.


1. Single point dominating the composition

a)-

I was able to take photographs of people on the beach from an elevated position, which presented opportunities for compositions with a dominant point. A couple wearing red tops standing on an empty stretch of beach stood out. The best composition appeared to be off-centre, somewhere near intersecting thirds. I prefer the smaller one because it gives more of a sense of isolation.



On reflection, I feel as if the first one of the set has the greatest impact.







b)-

c)-

Again, red tops helped the children to stand out. I placed them nearer the bottom to create a feeling of the fairly choppy sea bearing down on them.









d)-

The subject is very small, but the sense of isolation is increased by the smoothness and diagonal directionality of the sand which makes it seem as if it is extensive.








e)-

The shell's on the rocks presented a few opportunities. I was attracted to this one because there is a sense of movement into the 'avenue' in the seaweed.











2)- Two points

a)-

In the first two of these photographs the people create a sense of direction from the corner of the frame, into the picture. I prefer the second one because there is a destination to the line of direction in the form of a small lighthouse at the end of the pier.







b)-

c)-

I experimented with having two points closer together. There is less of a sense of direction, but a feeling of two very small figures engrossed in their own world and oblivious of the 'big' sea behind them.













3)- Several points in a deliberate shape

a)-

b)-

I got a bit fixated on people forming triangles here. I prefer the second; it involves quite a few people, who I watched for some time anticipating they were moving into formation. They were in this triangle for a split second and I particularly liked the mirroring of other triangles formed by the incoming tide. I may use this one for the implied triangle item.







c)-

d)-

Pebbles formed some interesting formations on the beach, especially at the water line where they sunk into indentations and created some interesting shadows. I prefer the first of these (d), naturally creating an arrow formation.








e)-

f)-

4)- A combination of vertical and horizontal lines

a)-

This photograph wasn't actually taken in Whitby, but during the same week as my trips to Whitby I had a walk along the canal side in Sheffield. Attuned to 'elements of design' I was struck by the image created by this barge under a road bridge and the reflections in the water. There was a massive tonal range caused by the evening sun catching the edges of this fairly dark area. I therefore used HDR software, trying to avoid its worst excesses.




b)-

Back to Whitby, the colourful beach huts offered a few opportunities for graphic compositions. I liked this one because of the combination of vertical drainage channels in the field behind and the row of huts on the promenade.















c)-

The lighthouse in the early evening sun and its reflections in a calm sea, criss-crossed by spume and sand ridges offered a good combination of horizontal and vertical lines. I preferred the landscape format as there seems to be a better balance of vertical and horizontal elements.













d)-

e)-

This graphic nature of this image struck me, however the prominent shapes are horizontals and diagonals, rather than verticals.









f)-

The white boats and their reflections create a strong horizontal, however, the verticals of the masts are not as strong as I had hoped.











5)- Diagonals

a)-

The main feature in this shot is the implied diagonal line created by the three stones in the foreground, leading the eye to the lighthouse. The movement through the image is increased by the line being diagonal rather than vertical or horizontal. A more prominent or interesting feature in the background would have added to the composition.








b)-

The line of colourful beach huts creates a strong diagonal through the composition but, and, in its own right it is OK, but I feel the image still needs something else; a prominent focal point, rather than just a diagonal line of huts.







6)- Curves

a)-

The curvature of the pier is emphasised by the rhythm created by the gaps between the bent boards. I deliberately tried to emphasise this by dropping the camera slightly to make the boards at the front prominent so that they caught the eye and swept it around to the focal point created by the angler.






b)-

The beach huts again, (I could almost have completed the whole project with them). Their layout creates a strong curve when viewed from a slightly elevated position. The second image is from even higher up and, in some ways I prefer it, because there is also the second curved created by the descending wall going onto the semi-circular extension to the promenade. There is, therefore, quite a lot of smooth flowing movement in the image.



c)-

7)- Distinct, even if irregular shapes

a)-

There were quite a few strong shapes in the harbour area created by   reflections of parts of the boats in the water. The first two images are my best attempts at capturing these.















b)-

c)-

Lots of triangles here, but not a particularly striking image.















d)-

My preferred shot for this part of the exercise; a close-up of the stern of a boat out of the water showing some interesting irregular shapes where the propellor and rudder are fixed. I had to take care with the exposure here to counter the influence of the bright background, underexposing the hull of the boat













8)- At least two kinds of implied triangle


a)-

Watching some rowing boats from a bridge, I saw all sorts of implied triangles in my mind's eye but had a bit of difficulty capturing them with the camera. This was possibly the best of the set, with a triangle created by the red tops of two rowers and the red end of the oars close to each other. The triangle is emphasised by the eye-lines of the two rowers wearing the red tops. I wish I had taken more care and captured more of there ends of the oars. There was no chance to re-shoot - the moment passed.



b)-

In the next two shots, I saw triangles created by the position of the rowers. In this case I saw a triangle created by the cox at the front and the fitrst two girls facing him. It would have been much stronger if nobody else had been in the boat.









c)-

Similarly, in this one, the strongest triangle is created  by the front two oarsmen and the rear one wearing the lighter shirt. Again, there is too much distracting detail.










d)-

By contrast, this shot of the groynes on the beach is perhaps a bit too obvious to be implied.










e)-

I actually took this shot at a flower show just before visiting Whitby. I was trying, and I think fairly successfully, to capture the triangle created by the two heads and the tubers on which they are concentrating. The triangle is emphasised by the eye-lines focused on the tubers. I had hoped to get a shot like this in Whitby, for example, people being served at an Ice-cream or fish and chip kiosk, but I was out of luck - it just didn't happen, and sub-zero temperatures didn't help.




9)- Rhythm

a)-

This is the exercise for which the beach huts had the most potential. In particular, I tried to capture the rhythm created by the repeating  roof-tops as well as the sequence of colours in the huts.








b)-

This is the shot that I feel has the most impact.










c)-

Here, there is a rhythm in the drainage channels as well as the huts.










d)-

The rhythm is stronger in this image because there are more drainage channels and on an angle. This may be a better shot for the diagonals exercise with the channels creating a strong sense of movement down the hillside.








10)- Pattern

a)-

This part of the project made me home in on quite nice shots I would previously have overlooked. The first two are interesting patterns created at the water's edge as the sea flowed in and receded. I particularly liked the second, with the sun reflecting off the bubbles creating striking colours.







b)-

c)-

Images c and d were shot in the harbour. The first is a pattern created by a stack of tyres used as buffers for the boats on the harbour wall (I think).








d)-

The second, and the one I prefer, is a stack of lobster pots. I particularly like the different rhythms within the pattern caused by the way the pots are stacked - the top row all leaning slightly to the right, the middle row all upright and the bottom row on their edges.








And so we say farewell as the sun sets......

A bit of fun at the end of the day when there was a brilliant sunset.  I balanced the camera on a bean bag on top of a wall to bracket the shots, so I could make HDR images. I didn't necessarily avoid the excesses of the software with these. Powerful images, but not everybody goes for HDR effects. I thought of using the first one, the incoming waves in the bay, for the curve exercise but didn't feel it was as strong as the pier.