photos of the day - these were hard to take....

The things we mums do to get a uni degree and change careers......

I don't want to go to Daycare Mummy.....

Left at Daycare.

photo of the day

Egg on my nose

photo of the day

Dead Family

the cutting room floor - assignment 2

The following are some of my favourite shots from the shutter speed assignment shoot that didn't make the final selection but I still really like.

Milla in the morning grass

Great chainsaw action

This is gorgeous

I love this one too

                               

This was a funny experiment when I tried to shoot Greg's reaction during the spin. 
Here I got Greg to stand still with his arms out and just moved the camera from left to right with a slowish shutter speed. The effect was obviously not what I was after in the end and I abandoned the idea as all the shots made him look very strange in a cone head type of way! 
This was the funniest one.

The divine miss milla

This one was actually taken spinning around.

Pretend you're dead (spinning needs recovery time)

Otto's best spin.
(I took all the pics with Otto as well in case Milla
didn't last the shoot or decided to not co-operate as
2 yr olds are known to do!)

Otto best sad reaction pic.

"Please stand still above me so
mummy can get her focus point right"....
Classic Milla.

shutter speed assignment 2

The following set of images are my completed shutter speed assignment:

1

2

3

4

5

6

Shot 1 - 'Off to work'
With this first image I wanted it to represent heading off to work at the start of the day. I shot it early in the morning to get the long shadow at the right angle on the grass. The doll lying discarded in the corner is meant to establish and place the man at his home and by seeing it there we can guess that there are children somewhere nearby. I chose a fast shutter speed to capture the movement of a brisk walk at it's most purposeful point in the stride.

Shot 2 - 'Watching daddy'
This image is more mysterious. The child is watching something in the distance. There are a few dark shapes and we are not quite sure what they are. Is one of them the man? I chose a narrow depth of field and a fast shutter speed to capture the wind blowing her hair and playing off the light. It almost looks electric and alive and so beautiful in it's messiness. The hint of bare shoulder is also intriguing. What is this child looking at and why is she there?

Shot 3 - 'At work'
With this image I wanted the screen to be filled with wood chips all frozen mid flight in a frenzy of action and activity. This is the true 'work' shot. I used the fastest shutter speed I could with enough depth of field to have the man's eyes and some of the chips in focus but not the background. I love the fact that we are drawn to his eyes and that he is looking off to the side like he has noticed something or someone. Is it the girl? I like the tension it might create in the viewer to see he is obviously not paying attention when using a chainsaw! What might happen?! I wanted the expression on his face to lead the viewer to try and guess if he was either going to be be angry to be interrupted by the child or glad to see her?

Shot 4 - 'The spin'
The mystery and tension from the previous shots is relieved. All is well. The girl and the man obviously know each other and are now engaged in a fantastic moment of play. I love the oddity and all the opposites of a little pale white small girl in a soft tutu being spun around by a tall dirty hairy gruff man in work clothes in the middle of a paddock surrounded by wood and wood chips. I chose a fast shutter speed here to capture the moment and their connection together clearly. The depth of field is also opened up to include the surroundings so we get a sense of placement and focus on the interaction between them. There is no need for mystery here, just to simply observe this wonderful moment of connection and love between a father and her daughter.

Shot 5 - 'The pleasure'
This is the true 'play' shot. Here we clearly see the childs reaction is one of pure pleasure and ecstasy. The angle is wonderful and shot against the background of the sky showcases the child and her emotions in a dreamy childhood memory style.  By choosing a slower shutter speed it has given a real sense of the spinning movement across the frame. I chose this particular shot as it has both her face and the grip of hands so we can see the strong connection between the two, which also represents to me the strong emotional connection and trust you develop with your child when you engage in play with them or indeed just being 'present' with them.

Shot 6 - 'Back to work'
The narrative resolves when we learn the moment of play has ended and work has again resumed. The clear disappointment on the childs face and resigned walk out of frame is sad to see and hopefully thought evoking. When we are children we don't care about work; we only want to be with our parents and for them to truly BE with us. However that is not always possible and so the reality is to me an important place to end this narrative on. The fast shutter speed captures her sad slow walk out of frame  with enough depth of field to see Daddy has resumed work in the background......and life goes on.

Summary:
I'm really quite pleased with this set of final shots. I realise I'm very lucky to have such a beautiful little girl to capture who seems to be oblivious to camera shyness at her young age, along with a very helpful and obliging family. I have really enjoyed the process from conception through to final product and I'm relieved and a tiny bit proud that my earliest narrative intentions have been realised much better than I anticipated despite my amateur technical skills. I actually learnt a huge amount about using my camera and thinking about shutter speed and how it relates to both aperture and ISO from doing this assignment along with the technical exercise. My confidence is definitely growing and I'm thinking a lot now about all the different options available to me with my newly found skills. I'm really excited about the next assignment now.

Notes about processing:
Initially I had thought to process these images with a deep contrast of blacks and bright whites but I'm glad I had feedback from Ruth to avoid this if possible and think ahead to when images will need to be printed. I then spent quite a few hours re-working these images again on the calibrated monitor to come out with the above results, which I feel have a much better sense of capturing the emotion in the narrative and observing the images quietly without becoming distracted by the more 'fantastical' & harsh processing. It helps make the story they tell much more accessible to the viewer and in turn more likely to capture the viewers imagination.

To border or not to border:
I played around with giving all the images either a white or black border as some images (like Shot 3) worked well with it. However in the end I decided on no borders - as image 5 didn't suit having a edge (in either black or white) and it distracted me away from the image itself. So in order for there to be continuity throughout I decided to leave a border off all of them which I think still works well.

sally mann

I have been reading Sally Mann's book "Immediate Family" this week. As well as researching her other work online. I didn't realise she was also the photographer working with documenting the decomposing human remains. I've seen this documentary and thought it was amazing. In hindsight now I can see this slant in her family work as well. Something about it is slightly dark around the edges.

I just love her work though and flipping through the book for the first time I was initially a bit taken aback at the nudity with her older children. It's not something you see often nowadays and it's one thing to see a baby or toddler nude but seeing an 8 or 9 yr old was surprising to me. From reading about Sally this is exactly how she grew up, running around wild and naked and free. By the time I had got to the end of the book though all I could think about was what a wonderful childhood they had, completely free of all inhibitions, swimming in the river, eating crisps and seemingly sleeping where ever they dropped to the ground.

Sally Mann, White Skates, 1990

There is so much to take away from her work. The way she uses light is amazing and her compositions are intriguing and captivating. Sometimes I found myself a bit annoyed with the messy shots though. Blurred dogs and plastic spoons on the ground. I guess my love of balance is making it harder to appreciate them for what they are, beautiful biographical moments in her children's childhood. which from the sounds of it was her main intention for documenting her children. All the real moments not just the staged ones. I also really appreciate the uniqueness and quirkiness to her photography. I think it's wonderful she has her own commanding style that is so recognisable.

Sally Mann, Easter Dress, 1992

This shot of her son Emmet below is one of my favourites of the book. The high angle of view (which is higher than an adults eye view), his hands across that water -looking as if he is almost controlling the flow, the strong, confident, 'mature beyond his years' look in his eyes and the light reflecting on the water framing him. It is all perfection to me.

Sally Mann, The Last Time Emmett Modelled Nude, 1987

One of the things I'm picking up from her work is her use of white things in the frame shot against shadow. The white or light clothing pops out and draws your attention instantly. When this is against a darker or shadowed background it looks even more effective. Certainly all the pale skin of her nude children also achieves this effect as well. Something to think about when shooting in black and white in the future and I will incorporate this into my shutter speed assignment by how I choose to dress Milla.

Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette, 1989

Sally Mann, Untitled. From the 'At Twelve' Series.
Here the white chair contrasting with the shadows 
with the light behind is fantastic.

Another thing I have noticed with the way she uses light and the way she processes her images - is the way she highlights her nude child with a lighter exposure. It gives them an almost angelic, ethereal quality and is so beautiful. It also doesn't look like anything you could see with your own eyes.

Sally Mann, The Perfect Tomatoe

This next photo Sunday Funnies ejected me straight back into my childhood. I used to read these every week and I just love the sense of family and closeness her children have all sprawled together on the bed. The graceful position of Jessie's arms and her holding her toe for balance is very unique and makes the shot much more interesting than if she was just simply lying there. Again the balance of the white whites and the dark edges to the image make it look fantastic.

Sally Mann, Sunday Funnies, 1991

The images I am drawn to the most from her work are the ones that capture all the unstaged growing up moments in her children's lives. Ones like The Wet Bed below. This is not a usual thing for a mother to photograph but because of this it feels so real and authentic at the same time as being beautifully lit and composed. A sleeping child is always mesmerising to watch and this one is no exception. Just stunning. I think I used to have this exact same bobble blanket on my bed when I was little too!

Sally Mann, The Wet Bed, 1987

The last photo I wanted to show is from her early work and I was drawn to as something about it is very familiar to me. The light coming in through the window, the cup of tea and her long brown hair. I think she reminds me of my mum when I was a little girl. So simple, gentle and beautifully executed.

Sally Mann, Untitled, 1971.

I think one of the biggest things I can take away from Sally Mann's work is when I'm photographing my family (or anything in a documentary style) to not focus on perfection within the image. Not everything should be perfectly balanced or even just trying to be perfectly perfect. All the imperfections are the flavour and the honesty and integrity in the image. It may even be the most important part of it in the end. Perhaps the thing the viewer can identify with the most. I think it is all the imperfections that add to the magic in all of Sally's work for me.

shutter speed technical exercise

For this exercise I decided I would photograph water as my moving thing. I initially thought of shooting water coming out of my garden tap against the house wall. I picked a time of day to get a nice shadow on the wall just for a bit of interest but quickly realised that the amount of actual water travelling through the frame was not enough to demonstrate the exercise differences very well.

So I moved inside to my kitchen sink to get closer to the water. I experimented with a few different compositions and framing of the tap and wall and water stream and was quite happy with the light coming into the frame. But again found not enough water to accentuate the changes in shutter speed.

So I then dragged a tall piece of furniture over to the sink where I could set my tripod up to look down into the sink and still have a stable surface to shoot from. It all got a bit complicated and hard to climb up and take the shots and check them before each take along with the realisation that the higher I got the less movement across the frame I was getting with the stream of water.

So I simplified and set the tripod up on the bench next to the sink and framed up this shot which I felt was the best so far. The simplicity of the composition highlights the shutter speed water differences really well.

0.4 SS

1/1600 SS

  

After this I played around with using a slow shutter speed and walking towards a subject. In my case moving up my dark hallway towards a window in the distance. I found that I had a better result if I noticed where the light in the frame was and tried to move evenly towards that rather than across the frame as the photo would show up the same block of light in all different places in the frame and cover over the other darker areas. I also practised moving the camera from left to right and up and down.

                      

photo of the day - a moment on the assignment shoot

This pic was taken in between shooting the pics for the shutter speed assignment. The day I had to shoot with turned a bit cold and grey with a chilly wind but in order to keep continuity I had to have Milla's top off whilst taking the shots! Poor child! In between shots I rugged her up all warm in my jumper. She decided wally (her little toy rabbit) also needed warming up.

using curves

Recently I was taking some test shots of one of the the areas where I plan to do a shoot with my hubby using the chainsaw for the shutterspeed assignment. About six months ago our neighbours forced us to chop down one of our huge Blue Gums near their boundary, citing it was rotten in the middle and dangerous. They had it assessed by an arborist and so we felt the only thing to do was get it felled. When the tree was on the ground the tree feller said he was surprised to find that it was perfectly healthy throughout and at least 80 years old. Very sad. And we are not very happy with the 'professional' who assessed it or our flighty, demanding neighbours now, as you can imagine.

As the tree has laid on the ground for 6 months now the huge rounds have started to split revealing some beautiful patterns. I thought it would be fitting to document the beauty and age of the tree. I used curves in Photoshop to boost the contrast to really accent the tree's age rings.

thinking about the second assignment

The second assignment is coming up soon and this time the focus is on shutter speed. I still want to continue to explore my 'work vs play' concept so I have come up with an idea to shoot a set of narrative pictures (in a similar style to the first assignment) but to get much more personal and in depth with it and include my family in the images. This is more where the concept hits me in the heart as I often feel torn away from my family to do work.

My original narrative idea is to have my husband working on one of the many jobs that need doing on the weekend for the upkeep of our large property. One of our children will then interrupt him and beg for a moment of play and attention. This beautiful moment of interaction happens and for that brief time they are totally connected and it is touching and beautiful and how life should be. The narrative will then resolve with the work needing to be resumed and the child having to leave, along with the emotion and disappointment attached with that. 

I'm hoping that by highlighting the contrast between this brief moment of play and happiness between father and child and the consistent persistence of work and everyday life, it will hopefully evoke some thought about what's more important in life? What is important to us in our family life and the balance we all choose to keep? I find myself struggling with this thought and trying to get the balance right all the time.

So......one of the things my hubby loves to do with the kids is to give them a thrill by spinning them around really fast and high (gulp!). They always beg him to keep going and call out 'one more time daddy' even though they look like they are about to throw up! I thought this action would provide an excellent movement across the frame to try and photograph for this assignment.

So I have decided to do some test shots first to see what it would look like. Originally I thought of standing on the shed roof and shooting looking down on top of them but decided I would miss the gleeful look on their face as they spin. So I've settled on lying down on the ground looking upwards with my hubby swinging them over the top of me.

I then tried this with Otto using both a fast shutter speed......

And a slower shutter speed .....

I think the slower shutter speed certainly captures the movement and sense of spinning much better than the stop motion speed. I had keep trying different shutter speeds to finally get one that still allowed me to see the look of happiness on his face and not blur it too much.  I do think though that the fast shutter speed shots look wonderful, slightly strange and beautiful all on their own as well.

I plan to shoot both options on the day to give myself the best range of choice and perhaps some fantastic accidents.

So now I have my 'moment of play' shot,  I decided to sit down and storyboard the other shots around it to support my narrative. I visualised the story and images in my head first and then drew each image and wrote notes for each shot about settings and angles to refer to on the day of the shoot. 

I then thought about how I could improve each individual shot to make it slightly more abstract or more interesting. What items could I place into the photo or what depth of field could I use to support the narrative and provoke thought in the viewer? How could I best represent the main objective of using shutter speed and capturing movement, as well as supporting the concept and narrative.

Lots to think about now!!! I have seven images planned but hope to be able to leave out 1 or 2 out to condense it a bit. I also need to see what the shooting day brings me and be prepared to change or follow another direction if I get something good.

I have a rough plan. It's time to go shoot and see what comes of it all........

photo of the day - cropping

In this photo of the day I photographed Otto in the lounge room while he was playing Lego. I noticed the light coming through the window and looking great on his skin and giving a good contrast of light and dark within the frame (something I want to highlight and get better at with my photos). The original photo composition was quite busy though as it was taken quickly without staging him and rather just capturing a moment during play. I didn't want to interrupt him or be too contrived with it - so remembering what we learnt during the recent lecture on composition - "Does everything in the frame add to or take away from the image?" I think this is a good exercise in cropping and fixing up a frame with a little content-aware fill. I have included the original photo for comparison.

Original - not cropped.

playing with meter readings

I was doing the dishes this morning and noticed a nice large patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor so grabbed the camera. Ever since the composition lecture the other week, where we were shown some fantastic photos - one particular one (taken from inside an old car looking out where only the outside is visible and the inside of the car is black) has stayed with me and I've been wanting to experiment with getting the same effect. I realise it is just getting familiar with where to take my meter levels to produce the different result. The following two shots I took (after some initial playing around with ISO, aperture and shutterspeed) highlight the differences. 

I took my meter reading from the lino outside the sunlit area.
ISO 100, f/11, 1/4s

I took my meter reading from the lino inside the sunlit area.
ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s

Only the shutterspeed was adjusted in this case, but i could have adjusted the ISO and aperture as well if I had wanted to (or was photographing something moving).

depth of field assignment

The following 6 images are my completed Depth of Field assignment.

With this assignment I wanted to use depth of field to explore a concept I'm calling 'Inside vs Outside' which is related to one of my main concepts I would like to explore called 'Work vs Play'. 

In this set of narrative images I am using the dog wanting to go outside and play with his ball as a metaphor for myself when I am regularly trapped inside working in a dark edit booth, or stuck working inside on my computer at home, when I would rather be outside 'playing'.

I wanted to conceal the ball till the very end with only hints of it hidden in the other images so as to keep the viewer wondering about what the dog is longing for out the window. In the second image I used a very small aperture to intentionally obscure the balls identity as much as possible in the foreground.  I then wanted to keep this framing and and do a complete pull focus to finally reveal the ball in the last image. I think the repetition adds strength to the narrative as well. 

The repetition of composition again in the 1st and 5th shot is there to highlight the different emotional stages the dog moves through...... from hope, interest and desire, through to acceptance, resignation and sadness. When he finally curls up to sleep, his eyes are still open, suggesting he is not peaceful enough to completely rest and sleep as a happy dog would. The same way we can often be lying in bed late at night - tired, but with too many things worrying or plaguing us to turn our minds off completely enough to sleep. In both these images I wanted to fill the frame with the aliveness of the trees and bushes outside and chose an aperture to still allow for some of this detail with the sun glinting in the foliage, but enough not to distract and compete with the main focal point.

The 3rd and 4th shots in the centre of the narrative are designed to draw the viewer further into the dogs emotional state and wonder what he is thinking about. When I am trapped inside, often a coping mechanism is to let my mind wander outside and fantasise about what I would rather be doing instead. So here in the 3rd shot I chose an aperture to focus intently on his eye where we can best see into his thoughts.

The 4th shot is vastly different to the others and is meant to represent his 'daydream'. Here we see the dog engaging in wild ecstatic play, with the ball still partially concealed out of frame to keep the viewer guessing. I love that it is almost hard to make out what the image is and hopefully holds the viewers interest much longer than a more obvious play image. The almost manic movement, along with a lack of focus, high exposure levels and the dog entering and leaving the frame at different angles, is to try and set this image apart from the others, which are much more composed, quiet and restrained, although hopefully still portraying a gentle, sad and poignant tale.

The final shot revealing the ball waiting, lonely, outside in the grass, resolves the mystery of the narrative. I took this image many times over to get just the right amount of depth of field and composition so the viewer can make out the dark and now empty window frame and see that the dog is no longer waiting at the window but has in fact given up.