Reflections

Well here I am again, new blog post and it's the first day off from work for what seems ages. I have just sent in my prints for assignment 4 'Applying lighting techniques' and contemplating Part 5 'Narrative and illustration'. I feel under pressure as time is running short to complete this module by May and with such little time spare from my work at Skyhook Studios in Stroud I need to make haste...
I have decided to make things slightly easier for myself in that I have opportunity through my work to do photography so rather than try and carve out separate time to do the course I need to apply and combine as much as I can with my workday activity. This does mean that much of my photography is going to have an element of music/musician basis. Rather than struggle I need to embrace that....

Here is the blog I do for my work at Skyhook Studios as a background to this and I do try and make it visual through use of photo's as far as possible;

http://mikecooling.blogspot.co.uk

My recent submission for Assignment 4 reflects this and here are some of the other photo's from the photo shoots I set up to do this. My subject was Stroud musician 'Cas Frazer' who is currently involved with music projects at Skyhook Studios. I will upload my submitted work for assignment 4 shortly.

I used low level lighting with a blue 'lighting gel' to contrast with the guitars Red

Low level light against black curtain

Against a white background with over-head and side lighting

Overhead lighting strongly onto background for a 'stage' look

Natural light from one side in a high contrast composition

Natural daylight from sides with subject in front of a colourful  background
of similar colour to Subjects tie for an 'earthy' natural look

Another high contrast shot with single sided lighting.

Subject with contrasting background and natural daylight from narrow source

Evening sunlight to cast strong shadows

So here's on to Narrative...........

Trip to Cornwall

Having just spent a long weekend in Cornwall with my camera with every intention of completing some more of the exercises on light I admit to being seduced by the beaches, sea, sand and lighthouses on distant horizons....

I have tried to incorporate my recent study into my picture taking and here are the results.......

Across the bay to St Ives

Being patient and waiting for the clouds helped me choose the right time to capture the stunning light of St Ives bay. Using the camera completely in manual mode I constantly re-adjusted the exposure settings for the ever changing light on this mixed weather day.

The stream at Gwithian

I was really pleased to get some light blue summer shots and some doom-laden dramatic shots all at the same time just because of the passing clouds and the different light looking towards and away from the sun.

Classic Cornwall Tin Mine

 In this classic Cornish tin mine shot I used an ISO setting of 800 to bring out a gritty texture which suits the rough edginess of the Cornish granite.

Looking back from the sea's edge

Light reflecting back up off the wet sand and diffusing through the clouds give these two shots a dramatic look. They work both in Portrait and Landscape. A one stop under exposure has brought out both the cloud and atmosphere.

Gwithian beach

Reflected Blues

 In these two shot I se the exposure exactly as the camera recommended,  and as a 'tourist' would feel really pleased with the results how Nikon intended with the inbuilt light meter

Gwithian Lighthouse

Gwithian

The Lighthouse Gwithian

Patterns in the sand

Rip-tide at Gwithian

 In this last of the shots I'm really pleased with the way the blue pool in the clouds reflects off the wet sand and gives this photo a nicely balanced look.

Pools of blue