All About Eyes

Well, in preparation for the big day, I organised a trip down to the Vision Centre in central Manchester with my subject, to explore the area that I will be working with.  I was particularly looking at the lighting of the windowless rooms, the equipment I might be able to work with, possible images I could create as well as any pitfalls that I might encounter.

The night before, I checked my memory cards had sufficient space on them and that both batteries were fully charged.  I packed a clean eyeglass cloth to keep the lenses dust free and checked the camera was in working order.

Starting with the journey; although we drove to our destination for the recce, I found that there was no obvious parking available nearby.  It was therefore decided that I would start the real photo session with my subject and we would travel by train in line with her usual routine, taking photos along the way.

A patient has been organised for the actual shoot, who has agreed to be photographed during her eye examination and will be presented with the consent forms on the day.

Weather permitting some external shots will be taken of my subject to show the city centre and slightly gritty location of her place of employment.

Internally, apart from the reception area there are no windows in the optometry department and the rooms are lit with fluorescent ceiling lights which I found cast some unflattering shadows onto my subject. I have enlisted an assistant for the actual shoot to hold a reflector and I may have to consider a fill light.

I experimented with ISO’s of 1600+ but in the lecture theatre I found I needed to go to 4000 to get a clear and bright enough image.  In the centre’s library I found some natural light and will hopefully be able to make use of it for some portrait shots. I have taken some experimental images to remind myself of the room layouts and to understand better the lighting conditions and their effects.

F9.0 1/15 ISO 320

F9.0  1/20 ISO 4000

F4.5  1/250 ISO 2000

F4.5  1/80 ISO 1600

F4  1/100 ISO 1600

F4  1/100 ISO 1600

F4.5  1/125 ISO 1600

Help!



Ok, I admit I'm struggling alittle with the concept of high ISO pictures.  Especially these pictures as I'm not sure that the point of them won't be lost if I turn them into black and whites. Yet in using colour there is alot of distraction from the main subject and the grain feels uncomfortable to me. 

Susan is an actress and commedienne as well as a full time mum, wife and part-time lecturer at Manchester university.  The diversity of her life is the object of my pictures, although this will only unfold as the weeks go by and the opportunities for me to take the relevant pictures of her in her different environments, present themselves.

There will be times when images can be taken outside but by the very nature of her life many pictures will need to be indoors.  What is an acceptable grain? Does grain give off the correct image or atmosphere, it being connected to drudgery and pictures that depict grit and sometimes grim reality? Many of the following pictures were taken at 6000 ISO others between 1800 and 4000 ISO.



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More About Technique Than Expertise!

One of the things I’ve found really difficult about reportage is being candid with a huge DSLR. By the time I’ve sorted out my settings the moment has usually passed or the people involved are made uncomfortable by the obvious presence of a camera.  I’m beginning to think that the ‘decisive moment’ is about being in the right place at the right time, which is more to do with luck than design, or the moment is staged to look spontaneous. More like the moment after!

I therefore decided to practice with a small pocket sized camera, which means that some of these images are more about research for my workbook than production of the final 20.

What I was trying to do was take images that each had a small story of their own to tell.  Not necessarily a complete tale maybe just something that would leave the viewer with a question or perhaps an impression about the person in the picture.

Mixed results I think.

Late Starter

I don't know about you but Christmas seems to have lasted for weeks.  Probably something to do with going skiing immediately after the New Year I suppose.  Anyway, I'm paying for it now with bad skin and an extremely expanded waistline.  Grostl and Kaiserschmarrn are good for the soul but they don't feature in the weightwatchers cookery book.

Back home there's some very impressive blogs going on, lots of creative juices flowing it would seem.  I really feel like i'm bringing up the rear.  Nevermind, to coin a much used phrase 'today is the first day of the rest of my life'.

I've used a few different camera's recently but such is my reportage topic I am not sure I have many, if any images that might go forward so I have experimented alittle with the type of photographs I might be looking to perfect.