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I have thousands upon thousands of photographs. Old Kodak prints, Fuji slides, XPan double-frame panoramics, uncountable digital files. Many I like, some I value, most are just ‘meh‘. So now I’ve enrolled in the OCA Photography Foundation. I’m going to learn, structure, focus and practice. No more ‘meh‘. Time to go on a journey. Continue reading First blog post
I have to admit that I have had more fun that I’d anticipated with this exercise, and in the process learned quite a lot more about layers, custom brushes and actions. I’ve created many images, some good, some less so, some little more than doodles. One thing I’ve enjoyed since the days I used slide film is creating double exposures, so that is where I … Continue reading 2.12 Pixel Painting
During my recent week of working in Geneva I was able to indulge my newly discovered passion for street photography, and in doing so got a shot I felt I could use for this split contrast exercise. One evening sat on a bench at the Promenade Du Lac, a stereotypical example of a Genevois private banker came striding by (I don’t really know he’s a … Continue reading 2.11 Split Contrast – Geneva Man
I have found 2.10 to be a really useful learning exercise. In the past I have tended to use it infrequently, and then primarily to correct exposure rather than as a creative process. The original image I used was taken on one of our recent hot, sunny Spring days near the London Eye. It was grabbed in passing, so there was no time for any … Continue reading 2.10 Dodging & Burning – the Hardcore Superstars
In this exercise we are asked to consider Michael Bühler-Rose’s “The Conversation”. At first sight my reaction is that this is not a photograph I have any great liking for, but I cannot pin down why that might be and if there’s anything this course has taught me it’s to think as much about why I don’t like something as why I do. So here … Continue reading Picture Analysis – The Conversation
For this exercise I have chose a photograph from a trip in the Summer to visit friends in La Rochelle. It is one of a number of shots I got of the Cafe Parisien, some were better composed but this one has the most interesting characters staged in the most interesting manner. The original image is top, and a crop below. I’ve cropped in such … Continue reading 2.4 The Two Dimensional Plane
Part 2 of FiP has been an interesting journey so far. On one hand I’ve discovered a real love for street photography. But I’ve also struggled to find a subject that I really want to work with for ‘People & Activity’. Whilst I search for inspiration and opportunity I’ve decided to play around a bit with low light and painting with light. I’m also going … Continue reading Faces
Noun; “The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” Just occasionally I have time to walk back to Waterloo along the Thames Path from my fluorescent-lit cell office in Southwark. Since starting the Foundation course I also take my compact Canon camera with me should an opportunity present itself. Wednesday evening was dark and bitterly cold, with an icy … Continue reading Serendipity
