Re: Re: Assignment 1

#18859
Duncan Rawlinson
Keymaster

This is a great example of what this assignment asked for. You’ve done a wonderful job and your experimentation with light, color, shape and camera positioning hasn’t gone unnoticed.

There is a common thread amongst almost all of these assignments, and that is the trend towards macro photography in order to make the image more “interesting”. One of the defining characteristics of macro photography is that it’s generally noticeably more simplified. It focuses on colors and shapes rather than distracting details in a background. For photographers, macro photography is easier to light, compose, simplify and organize into an interesting looking shot.

However, you must realize what it is about the macro photography that draws you towards it and then try to implement those ideas in your non-macro photographs. I bring this up because there is the reoccurring natural progression towards “simplification” in these first assignment photographs.

In your doorknob photograph, for example, you bring your camera in closer to capture the details of the handle while at the same time using a shallow depth of field / wide aperture opening to blur the distracting elements in the background. Your background lighting actually become interesting orange and white shapes and provide interesting secondary elements to look at.

So you’re off to a good start because it seems as through you are naturally being pulled towards the idea of simplification. From a composition standpoint this photograph is also well done and abides by the rule of thirds and many color theories as well (to be discussed in upcoming lectures).

My main concern is that your focus is slightly off. In a photograph there should be at least 1 area that is in perfect focus when you’re using a shallow depth of field. In portrait photography it’s in the subjects eyes. In this photograph it could be in many locations but somewhere in your main object (i.e. doorknob) would be preferable. However, everything is slightly blurred in this photograph. This is no area of perfect focus in this picture. My guess is that you were positioned too close to the object and your camera couldn’t handle such a close distance. You might have had to be just 1 more inch back in order to get the area of focus you needed.

It’s not that noticeable when the photograph isn’t enlarged, but as you progress and you start to enlarge your pictures, you’ll need to be very aware of this common problem.

Other than that, I think this is a wonderful photograph! Great work.