Exam Work

[Pricer]

Hello all

For our A2 photography exam i have chose the title peice "Celebrate Spring". So me being me, instead of going for the normal Flower/seasonal type pictures, i have chose to acctualy photograph springs, and then develope this into cogs and gears and then to the insides of clocks and watches.

These three pics were a first mess around and playing with a few ideas.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_7922.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_7923.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_7924.jpg


Anyone got any more ideas based around this kind of Abstractish photography?

Cheers
Dave

[minimeeze]

All of these images look a little on the soft side to me. Don't know if it's just down to re-sizing them for the web or whether they are slightly OOF :shrug: but maybe a sharpen would help.
It's a great idea, and I really do like #1, but it doesn't scream out 'spring' to me.

[Canon Bob]

I was also going to mention the soft appearance...did you apply any sharpening after re-sizing?

That apart, I like the idea.

Bob

[dazzajl]

I'm liking 2 and 3 lots. It's a great idea and there is loads you can do with this. Well worth pushing the ideas on a little further I reckon.

Looks a tad soft to me as well but I don't think it's focus issues. :)

[nic bike]

Nice shots! they do look soft but i think that photobucket might have a bit do to with it because i find it makes my image's look softer.

[Pricer]

i havent touched these in ye old photoshop yet, just thort i would present my ideas.

cheers for the comments all.

I want to do the same thing but put a lightbox beneath the plant so it brings out the veins in the leaf.

anyone got any otehr ideas along these lines? would be greatly appricated

[Pricer]

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_2670.jpg

When i took this i just cranked the apature up to its highest to get less depth of feild, is this the right way of doing it?

[Snake Man]

*snip*

When i took this i just cranked the apature up to its highest to get less depth of feild, is this the right way of doing it?

No, you need to do it the other way round. You need the biggest aperture (smallest f/number) to get the shallowest DOF.

I really like the idea you've got going.

[po10c]

I like the idea but you might get better results if you focus on a more macro & cropped area. Also try to explore the different ways to play with light on the subjects. You do have a very rare and very good idea here.

[surfinrach90]

Oh my god..!

I'm also taking an A Level in photography and chose Celebrate Spring! I considered doing this myself, but all my previous ideas have been so complicated and time consuming for me because I was trying to get amazingly high marks I didn't. I thought I'd just enjoy this one and take some nice straight forward pictures, without any complicated meaning behind them.

Great work though! But they do look a little soft.

[zarozinia]

Hi Pricer

I dont normally post anything negative but as this is for your exam I wanted to give you another persons feedback, in the hope that it will help. I get the idea that you have been trying for but I dont really think you have quite captured it. Out of your ideas the one thing that interested me was the coil/spring around the stem of the last flower, I was thinking that if you got rid of the cogs and simply used a flower with the spring around the stem it would look so much nicer, it would be simpler, but I think it would have a better effect. You could still have that slight abstract feel to it, but with just one simple effective look. I hope you dont mind me posting this, its only my opinion and everyone likes different things. Best of luck whatever you go with.

[Pricer]

nah thats a fair enough comment, i wanted to portray how mankind and there doings have ruined many of nature's works and i just thort of cogs and how rough they can look. A few of you have been commenting on the softness of the shots, how do i adjust this in photoshop ?

[WanderingMind]

This a great idea you have got going pricer :clap::thumbs: a few things are sticking out: the iso is pretty high, you might be better on a tripod and iso100, use mirror lockup and a remote or the cameras self timer. Might be good to play with some different background colours :thumbs: not sure about the pioneer logo on there.

[Pricer]

Another one
Just the spring this time

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/Flower2.jpg

[nic bike]

Nice photo and very creative! just a quick question when is your exam? I'm doing my gcse one tomorrow.

[Pricer]

ermm we have 6 weeks prep time and we are about a week and a bit into that so in a bout 4/5 weeks.

[Pricer]

3 more taken from tonight

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/Flower5.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/Flower4.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/Flower3.jpg

[ranarama]

Just a quick comment on the last three you posted. My eye (as are most people's) is naturally drawn to the highest area of contrast or brightness in a photo. In those that's at the bottom left of the photo because it is so bright compared to the rest of the scene. All the detail is lost and the area is blown out though so it's not a good area to draw attention to. Try moving the light further away to create a more even lighting across the scene. If you're struggling to light (are you using a desk lamp?) you'll need to use a tripod. Lower the ISO too as it's looking quite noisy at the moment.

[Pricer]

Ok, so i got my self a new tri-pod and started shooting with an ISO of 100 ans a F stop of 22 and this is what ive got

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_2874.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_2943.jpg

Im well chuffed :)

[Ewan]

Scrolling down your thread, I can clearly see your pictures improving as you go!

The last 5 you posted were definately on the right track - keep experimenting!

[Pricer]

Just finished my exam today.

this is what i submitted as my final peice.

Im really chuffed with it, what do you lot think?

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/Final.jpg

[Ajophotog]

Well from where you started to where you finished has been quite journey I think, well done. :thumbs:

[allanm]

Excellent, you did well. I like the muted colours on the black background. You`ll have to let us know the results.
Allan