It's been an interesting 12 weeks: I have gone from feeling thrilled with my photographs to completely doubting my ability, asking myself am I colour blind because other people commented on the colour of my pictures - I think though that it is just other people can see things you can't. My ability to receive constructive criticism has varied!
I have taken photographs of people which I love to do and I like to show them look relaxed and natural or humerous - not posed.
I have used a variety of Canon digital cameras all borrowed. In the beginning I was lucky enough to be offered a Canon 450d with 18-200 lens! I had to give this back though as the owner wanted to use it as a backup camera! I then borrowed cameras from College which was a EOS 300d. I didn't use a tripod or other equipment. Although I am grateful to have been loaned these cameras, I am now going to buy my own as switching from camera to camera although they are all Canon EOS did give some frustration especially in the studio for my last shoot in there (as described below).
I feel that I could have improved on the following:
- read thoroughly the handouts given. One example of this is I only 2 nights ago read the whole of the blog handout and it says clearly "follow each other's blogs and critique each others' work". I did not do this other than to have a look at one other persons. By the same token though I did not receive any comments from anyone else in the class
- listened more instead of thinking I generally knew what I was doing - example of this is I have got this week and realised my labelling is wrong !
- asked if I didn't know - my own expectations of myself are high and my last time in the studio wasn't enjoyable as I was too embarrased to ask for help (that said I did get my pictures but I don't feel I used the settings as much as I could to get different effects
I feel that the course is too short for what we are expected to do. I thought I was coming to learn photography but I have also ended up learning
- how to use an Apple Mac - I didn't even know how to switch one on, or open a browser, or anything remotely related to Macs
- how to use Photoshop software
- how to open a file in Photoshop
- how to create, populate and keep updated a Blog
- how to view photographs from an external source
- how to use lights in a studio (well OK how to switch them on and dump !) - I don't know the different names of them though
- about photographers I had never heard of at the beginning of the course. I have visited exhibitions and talks which were fantastic. I met and been photographed with Dennis Morris
I have gained some knowledge on working in the studio, but would not say I am confident in fact on my last (and first solo shoot) I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. It didn't help that I had a camera that I had never used before and was too embarrased to ask for help. I think the combination of this and doubting my ability and having a model with me (albeit a friend) I felt under pressure and was convinced they were going to be unusable. The results though I was very pleased with and my model went away very happy with over 200 images of himself !
I think because I did do black and white photographs 20 years ago and because I am someone who doesn't feel the need to have the newest gadgets going, I tend to fight progress !! Hence when I have received feedback on my photographs I immediately think that it doesn't need manipulating. I don't look at a photograph yet and think ooh i could do this or that in photoshop.
I also didn't know why some photographs I took and uploaded onto my computer wouldn't view in explorer. This is because I now know they were in RAW format and not JPEG. I didn't even know the camera saved them in different formats. I think is the a simple thing yet I have only just learnt it/realised it. I could have done with learning about this, together with the sizes of files such as these.
Peter Gennard is one photographer who has influenced my work - his talk as discussed in my research on him just inspired me to look for different things i.e. background and the scene you would maybe look at and not dream of taking a picture of. I am including in this evaluation a photograph that I took in my on site launderette - it's nothing to do with people but I feel it shows his influence. Also my photograph of Harvey against the white wall was down to his talk.
The other artist who has influenced me is Sally Mann - not necessarily for her work but her attitutude to not moving to digital. I have expressed in this blog my thoughts on how you seem to have to now manipulate your photographs in some way. It seems no-one can look at a photograph and just say "that's good" (apart from my family!!). After I finish this course I will start using my film SLR again, primarily black and white and developing my own films and printing my own photographs. Who knows, the novelty may wear off quite quickly as I haven't done it for years but I want to try it again.
I am pleased with my overall final photographs. If I could change anything though it would be to have chosen a different theme, to have approached more people, to get group shots not just inidividuals. I would also have put my final images into a book had I given myself more time. I did plan to print each of my 6 images A4 size and mount but have only done one to show presentation. My final image is printed on A3 paper and again, given more time I would have like to have mounted/framed it.
I also didn't know why some photographs I took and uploaded onto my computer wouldn't view in explorer. This is because I now know they were in RAW format and not JPEG. I didn't even know the camera saved them in different formats. I think is the a simple thing yet I have only just learnt it/realised it. I could have done with learning about this, together with the sizes of files such as these.
Peter Gennard is one photographer who has influenced my work - his talk as discussed in my research on him just inspired me to look for different things i.e. background and the scene you would maybe look at and not dream of taking a picture of. I am including in this evaluation a photograph that I took in my on site launderette - it's nothing to do with people but I feel it shows his influence. Also my photograph of Harvey against the white wall was down to his talk.
The other artist who has influenced me is Sally Mann - not necessarily for her work but her attitutude to not moving to digital. I have expressed in this blog my thoughts on how you seem to have to now manipulate your photographs in some way. It seems no-one can look at a photograph and just say "that's good" (apart from my family!!). After I finish this course I will start using my film SLR again, primarily black and white and developing my own films and printing my own photographs. Who knows, the novelty may wear off quite quickly as I haven't done it for years but I want to try it again.
I am pleased with my overall final photographs. If I could change anything though it would be to have chosen a different theme, to have approached more people, to get group shots not just inidividuals. I would also have put my final images into a book had I given myself more time. I did plan to print each of my 6 images A4 size and mount but have only done one to show presentation. My final image is printed on A3 paper and again, given more time I would have like to have mounted/framed it.
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