Exercise Symbols

For this exercise I need to find symbols for a number of concepts

This was the list I was given and here are my ideas, I don't think there is necessarily a right or wrong answer to this question as a lot depends on peoples on interpretation.

Growth: a seedling just breaking through its shell, or an acorn and an oak tree, (from little acorns etc)

Excess: this could be a very large pile of something like gold or money or it could be a very large person 'holding their spare tyre'.

Crime: police tape across a door or maybe a smashed window

Silence: A library always makes people think of silence or a closed mouth with a finger to it.

Poverty: cupped hands, or a small tatty child with a empty bowl,
 at the moment I have decided not to take any photographs for this exercise.

I found this exercise quite thought provoking and I found that I really had to think hard and research some of the list.

Evidence of Action

For this I need to take one photograph which shows something has happened, I have the usual things in mind at the moment of something broken maybe a glass jar or a plate, but I am trying to think of something else that is a bit different, whether or not any ideas I come up with will work remains to be seen.

I also need to think of 5 examples of concepts that are regularly used in advertising and publicity which can not be shown directly.

I can think of two hard hitting or actually three hard hitting situations where you could not show it one would be an accident the one that comes to mind here is a motorbike out of a side road and a car, they could not show the accident happening so show a car then a bike on its side, similar cases would show animal or child cruelty, a single photograph of an abused child or animal says more than a 1000 words could say. I will try and come back to some more ideas as I think of them, A toothbrush and tooth paste would convey cleaning your teeth.

I had a bit of a rethink on this exercise and came up with a few more ideas for example feathers to show how soft tissues are, flags in the shape of a globe for international calling cards, green cross for a first aid box and maybe one of the most easily recognised symbols of a red cross for aid.

Back to the single photograph showing something that has happened, I have decided to use a strand of broken beads all I need to do now is plan the photograph, should I take it outside as if it has fallen off when it broke or a still life set up, almost as if it is being readied to be repaired I think I might try both ideas and see which one I like best.

 

Well I tried both ideas but in the end I settled for the inside shots showing not only the broken strand and the beads but also the pliers to add to the overall image of something being broken, I used a tripod for this exercise the camera settings were: F10 @1/2 second flash white balance, the focal length was 100 mm and the iso was 100.

I was pleased with final photograph as it had caused me a few problems to begin with as the light kept reflecting off the beads too much, having found this old necklace I think I might have to repair it now.

A Narrative Picture Essay

Well I have finally arrived at part five  of the Art of Photograph, and this is the first exercise, I need to tell a story in pictures and I chose to do a bride getting ready on her wedding day, I knew that I would not have room for a tripod and at times I managed to squeeze myself into small gaps just to get not only these shots but plenty of others, I choice to use iso 200 for all the indoor shoots with flash and flash whitebalance, I debated whether to use my 50mm prime lens but in the end I settled on my 18 to 200 mm lense to give me a bit more flexibility, one thing that was challenging was the windows in the hotel were reflective and I had a few problems to begin with for example the flash was bouncing off the window, but I got round it by altering where I photographed everyone. (It was a bit disspointing as the indi car race was on and could be seen from the window I really wanted to take a photograph of the bride looking out at the race).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I have said in the story board this was my sister in laws wedding day, not only was I present and able to take photographs of her and the bridal party getting ready I was also very honoured to be asked to be the official photographer on the day. My brother in law who was the groom also have a love of photography so there was even more pressure on me to get it right I am very pleased  to report that they loved the photographs.