Shot at Dawn

[debbiejo]

Hi everyone

I’ve started to put a little project together called “Shot at Dawn”

This is the first draft of a sight that will change many times before I host it formally under its own URL.

In the mean time the idea is to spend the next year or so shooting interesting and dramatic B&W images using a Fisheye lens around the city of Nottingham and then presenting them in a simple street index.

I’m hoping as the project grows more people will grant me access to roof tops and places that would not normally be accessible to the public.

I also hope that I will have the time to catalogue the image repository I put together in an application called Calm which is used by the Nottingham city achieve. When it’s all finished I would like to think I could hand the collection over to them.

I would be interested to hear what people think of the idea behind the project.

I’m not too worried about the web site design just yet. It’s in a very early stage and the collection is very small at the moment and I know it will change substantially in the layout and style.

Have a look and see what you think

http://www.rkdweb.co.uk/SAD/

all the best
Debs

 

[raathistle]

The site is a bit clunky, there's a lot of flicking through the index of letters with no entries, and while someone from Nottingham may know what each place is and that you are unlikely to get anything indexed as x or z others may not.

Maybe instead of the index with all options a set of "sets" for want of a better word, which you can add to as new ones are added?

Also the front page isn't imediately obvious it should be read in 2 columns, just a small thing but if you want the credibilty to get access to roofs etc (btw the library roof is one place I have always wanted access to, also the top of Fletcher Gate car park can be, or at least was, a good spot).

One other thing is that dawn is one of the most colourful times of the day sky wise, which using a FE lens play a large part in a lot of the pics. I guss you like B&W images but why limit the series in this way? Also if the colour is not important could you achieve the same effect of deserted streets etc. with strong ND filtering? This is something I'm wanting to try in the city, say ISO 25 with a 10stop filter. Not in massively bright sunlight to keep the shutter speeds up but getting speeds of 4-5 minutes shouldn't be a problem

Nice idea though, bookmarked to see where it goes

 

[ROFL2K9]

Until you have a street listed under every, or at least most, letters you really ought to have a way of showing which ones are empty and which are not. It gets quite disheartening trawling through the letters to find the images that are available.
You need to check and double check your spelling and grammar if you want it to look professional. I've notice a couple of grammatical errors on the front page.
Also, there's a bit too much fisheye for my liking, makes me dizzy after a while .... others may like it though, so mine's just one opinion
Oh, and the links at the bottom of the front page don't work (although I guess this might be because you haven't done the pages yet)..

Sorry if it sounds a bit negative but [Fred Elliot] I speak as I find, I say I speak as I find [/Fred Elliot]

 

[debbiejo]

I’m not too worried about the web site design just yet. It’s in a very early stage and the collection is very small at the moment and I know it will change substantially in the layout and style.

The site is very much a proof of an idea at the moment and as I have said, I’m not worried about the way the site looks, functions or performs because it’s not the finished site. I’m currently looking at using an set of applications called Calm and Calmview. Calm is an archival database used in most of the uk’s record offices and Calmview is a searchable web based front end to it that will allow some quite advanced searching. I’m just working on the Calm people to see if they will officially give me a free copy!

One other thing is that dawn is one of the most colourful times of the day sky wise, which using a FE lens play a large part in a lot of the pics. I guss you like B&W images but why limit the series in this way? Also if the colour is not important could you achieve the same effect of deserted streets etc. with strong ND filtering?

Thanks for the thumbs up on the idea
I have set down some very strict rules for my project to avoid it becoming a random of snap shots around a city.
All images are B&W. I find this format very powerful and timeless and keeps the focus on the buildings. I know I will miss out on some beautiful colours but I’m ok with that.
The images must all be taken with the fisheye. I want to try and capture complete areas to try and show buildings and locations in their true context. I know some people won’t like that (or the B&W) but I don’t know of a photo collection yet that everyone likes every image so I’m ok with it.
The images must be at dawn. I need integrity. If I’m saying I want to capture the city at dawn then show images that I took later in the day then I’m not being honest. I’ve seen a recent photo of the Nottingham Wheel claiming to be taken at dawn and the sun is in completely the wrong direction. For me the photographer might as well claimed the photo was taken on the moon.
The images must be of a high quality. I will not use an image and have a gap in my collection than use a second rate snap shot. I think it comes back to the integrity things again.
Sticking to these rules means the collection builds very slowly:bang:.

Until you have a street listed under every, or at least most, letters you really ought to have a way of showing which ones are empty and which are not. It gets quite disheartening trawling through the letters to find the images that are available.
You need to check and double check your spelling and grammar if you want it to look professional. I've notice a couple of grammatical errors on the front page.

Again, thanks for the ideas and I will be changing everything so don’t worry

Thanks guys for your thoughts and ideas. It really has given me things to think about and avoid in following generations of the project. In the mean time I need to build the collection

Take care and thanks
Debs

 

[68lbs]

there's a bit too much fisheye for my liking

Considering it's a fisheye project, you're going to be ****** then!

Have to agree with what's been said. Could you not use one of the free bits of blogging software and just use tags to 'create' the index of street/place names as it develops, and have then all listed in one place.

 

[nomorem6]

Hi Debs
I think its a great idea. The site is obviously a bit of a 'work in progress' but overall its simple to navigate and quick. I'd suggest that any letters that don't have any images under yet, you change to a darker grey. The viewer will soon catch on that those are the unpopulated areas.

For getting access to those normally no-go areas, I find that taking a printed portfolio along with you when first asking makes all the difference between being given a 'yes' or a 'no'.

 

[ROFL2K9]

Considering it's a fisheye project, you're going to be ****** then!

Ahhhhhh that explains all the fisheye stuff then