Hey Hey!
Thanks for submitting your assignment! I really enjoy lesson 8 pieces. I’ve been pretty busy travelling over the last few days so I’m sorry if the critique I’m posting now was slower than it should have been.
Here is what the lesson was all about:
Lesson 8: Assignment
Assignment Title: Stage it!
In this lesson you need to take 1 photographThis lesson is about finding a way to reproduce something you imagine in your mind onto your camera’s film or CCD chip. It could be a scene from a day dream or just something you think up on the spot. Try to use your imagination to ensure it’s as dramatic as possible.
You have complete creative control of this photograph. You’re not waiting for a decisive moment, and you can place anyone or anything in any position you wish.
Use your imagination and have fun. Think about costumes, dramatic lighting, contradicting items, dark gloomy themes, bright, overexposed themes. Below are some more examples to get you thinking.
Notice how in the example below the photographer used a slow shutter speed to create the creepy effect of a ghost in the door.
My first thought when I viewed this image was that I liked the composition of the shot.
There is something immediately compelling about it which is really good. 🙂
People often don’t shoot straight down either so this is also good.
Now my next thought was, I wonder what is staged about this image?!
I didn’t even notice the ghostlike footsteps at first and maybe that’s what you wanted, a very subtle ghostly effect. If not, a potential improvement on this idea is to light the footsteps with an strobe/speedlite. This would make the footsteps standout a little more.
Another option would be to shoot background (the stairs) and then shoot several individual shots of the feet on the stairs and mask them in/out in photoshop after the fact.
Obviously I would prefer you do your won in-camera if you can though.
Another minor point is the focus. When you print this image you may notice it is ever so slightly out of focus. I suspect this is from camera shake. Your ISO may have been slightly too low.
This is a very creative idea and I ilke the image! Well done mate!
On another note, be careful out there. I don’t want you falling down a flight of stairs for an little photography assignment!!!
😉