Monday, 12 May 2014

Thinking about location


28/4/14


This was an interesting project to consider. The brief asked me to "play the role of location hunter". It asked for six locations which were all different from each other. The more I thought, the more I came up with. 

I imagine a setting as being anywhere that sets the scene for the story or portrait which is being narrated. So if I took a photo of teenagers in concert tshirts and skinny jeans, I would not expect them to pose in a wood full of bluebells because the setting would not be right for the image I was trying to convey.

Disused Railway Bridge

I live in an old pit village which produces some great backgrounds for urban type shots.


This railway bridge is great for teenagers because of the graffiti. Half of it is in shade and half in sunlight. The shade works well. The only challenge is teenagers do not want to be photographed when school friends may be walking past or hanging out on the top of the bridge. I had wondered whether I could use the location at night with torch light to make it more exciting and appealing for my daughter. I would use a long focal length 70-200mm lens.

Need to be careful of blue sign, check grass for cleanliness, clothes to suit background, depth of field large enough to blur graffiti (check language)


Doctor's Surgery
The north facing opaque window of the doctors surgery doesn't look like much, but is actually quite effective as a background - and works better when the window has been cleaned. There is a slope between the railing and the window which a subject can stand on. The window reflects the light into the image. When the image is exposed correctly for skin, the window becomes brighter too. I have used it in the past and not included the brickwork. This is consistent in tone and being in the shade gives even lighting.

Rufford Country Park
For a more formal portrait, Rufford Abbey has steps, heavy wooden doors,stone with a warm hue,  landscaped areas, tree lined avenues, a lake to reflect light.

This faces west and I had started to experiment with this location after school.  I am waiting for a cloudy day as the sun has been in my daughter's eyes.

Check for visitors on the grass before shooting. Best to shoot early morning or late afternoon.


These bluebell woods at Rufford, (and several in Nottinghamshire) would be a good backdrop to a family or child's portrait. I envisaged a girl holding a flower or children on the log. Lighting is dappled or shady so could prove a respite from full sun.  

Check for people walking through the woods. Early morning or late afternoon has less people.


Clumber Park
Ornate bridge at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. There is an advert for weddings using this bridge where the bride and groom are looking over the bridge towards the church. Water would act as a reflector.

Traffic does cross the bridge. If subjects were looking at me, sun would be in their eyes in the evening so turn them round. Best in the morning. 
Hardwick Hall
Looking down over wall
Entry from the back
Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire is built from stone with a warm hue. The country park has a structure which makes for an unusual portrait setting. The stone structure can be used in a variety of ways - sitting, exploring, acting and  lighting can be full sun, dappled, shade depending on which part is used. 

There is a tunnel at the back which allows subjects to climb into the inside of the building Looking down over the stone ledge, the view captured of the subject can be one of surprise, adventure, and the viewpoint is altered  when shooting down onto the subject.

My son Josh rarely agrees to having his photograph taken. He was happy to explore and let me take photographs of him.


1/100 F4 ISO100 70mm
On reflection the background trees could be more blurred. There is an" l" shaped tree trunk in the background which is a little distracting. I used an aperture of F4 to keep the facial features as sharp as possible. My lens aperture will go as low as F2.8 and I need to look at using this more often. I had looked at the back of the building for any brightly colouresd rubbish. 

The lighting separated Josh from the trees and put his face in the shade which prevented shadows from distracting the viewer. I liked the angle of the head and position of the eyes. This was caught off guard so Josh has a big smile.

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