Assignment 2 People and activity

Assignment 2: People and Activity

Introduction

For this assignment I have presented 10 photographs of people in some form of meaningful activity. From the categories listed, I chose a sporting event because I am interested in mountain biking and had some experience of what could happen at the event as I had watched a different race series evening last year at the same venue.

I originally looked at people involved with presenting the First World War at a living history event for my assignment. These were passionate volunteers who were informing mostly children with adults as bystanders. After reviewing my images I realised that it had not gone to plan. I also felt I could have included more close-up work so scrapped the idea and found another event to visit. (posted in Test Shots on blog)

I considered each assignment image individually and identified what worked well, what was less successful and analysed the reasons for this. I considered where I need to strengthen my skills and understanding and explained how I hoped to achieve it.

British Cycling hold a National Cross Country Championship during the year which takes in different parts of the country. This was the 4^th round and featured 2 days of racing. I attended the first day which held one race made up of various categories: fun male and female, open male and female and sport male. These categories were non ranking. Sunday’s races included elite athletes who compete for points to enter the Olympic Games and other such competitive events. I thought this would attract more crowds and I could probably get closer to the action on Saturday.

In the planning stages of the assignment I revisited a rough plan I made for an event I was going to for a MTB marathon. (This event turned into my wide angled exercise as I was not ready to do the assignment at this point).

Plan 

As Cartier-Bresson (1999) describes “Things-As-They-Are offer such an abundance of material that a photographer must guard against the temptation of trying to do everything”. By making a detailed plan and narrowing down the content on the day when I saw what the potential was, I 

was able to put together a relevant picture story.

In order to select my final images, I categorised my images as I went through them, writing down a 

number under a heading. I then selected 20 from these and printed them off to arrange on paper so I

could move them around.  This allowed me to visualise all the images together, check for telling 

moments and ensure the activity is explained. This method helped me to look at facial expressions

 and body language and avoid repetition in my chosen selection. Cartier- Bresson (1999) writes that

 “after developing and printing, you must go about separating pictures which, though you know are all

 right, aren't the strongest”.

Images which did not make it into the final selection are on my blog under Test Shots.

I set up and used my Canon 5D full frame with a 24-105mm and Canon 40D (smaller sensor) with 70-300mm which gave me a focal length of 112-480mm.

Date: 7/7/14

Venue: British Cycling National Cross Country MTB Series 4 Sherwood Pines, Nottinghamshire

 Image 1   

 Canon 40D 1/250 F8 ISO100 Effective focal length 184mm

This was the start of the race. I picked out two riders who were relaxed and ready to start. There were still a few minutes to go at this point. The riders were set off in groups according to their class and this was the first group to go. I thought the colours worked well together and these two riders looked evenly matched. In the body language displayed, one rider has copied the other suggesting that the two are relaxed and at ease with each other.

What went well?

·    Telling moment - Riders sharing a conversation (looking for facial expression and body language)

·     Explaining activity - Relaxed body position – start of race – other riders busy with personal preparation

·      These two riders isolated by using a tight crop in camera and a telephoto lens

·      Number board state exactly what the race is and the venue

What could be improved?

·         Stand further back and use a longer telephoto lens to isolate riders further

·         Whole wheel could be included

·         Slightly overexposed

Image 2  

Canon 40D 1/250 F8 ISO200 Effective Focal Length 288mm

This image was taken as a group of riders set off and were competing to overtake each other before the track turned into singletrack. I like the movement, spacing of the riders, body language and the fact that there is a clear rider in front. I think it is a little cluttered with spectators.

What went well?

·      Telling moment  - action shot shows power, determination, dust being kicked up on the track

·   Explaining activity – numbers visible, British cycling banner visible, spectators on edge of course

What could be improved?

·      Too cluttered – would be more effective without the spectators

Image 3  

Canon 40D 1/350 f5.6 ISO400 Effective Focal Length352mm

This rider was showing a lot of determination and very focused. The colour of his clothing made him stand out against the background.

What went well?

·        Telling moment  - action shot shows power, determination, focus, concentration

·        Explaining activity – number visible, body position and muscle movement make him look as if he is working hard and racing rather than on a leisure ride

·       This rider was not under the tree canopy at this point making him better lit

·   Telephoto lens separates rider from background. Using the 300mm on a smaller sensor camera gave an even longer focal length

What could be improved?

·      Background too cluttered. The technical challenge was knowing where to stand to capture the rider in the sun without using flash with a clear background.

Image 4

Canon 5D 1/320 F4 ISO400 82mm

These two lads led for most of the race. I included a race scene to show a part of what the event was about. Most of the course was under a tree canopy which meant using a reasonable ISO. If I took images of riders under non race conditions (who are aware that I am taking images), I would use a flash. However, in a race, I did not want to put the riders off.

What went well?

·    Meaningful activity – race important to both of these riders. Rider in front shows determination – rider behind looks like he is slowing down

·   Telling moment – both team mates looking in same general direction round the corner- the one in front is looking round the corner. Although the corner in the track is not visible, the grass is flattened which gives a clue to the viewer

·      Wider angle includes more of the race circuit

What could be improved?

·     Image would benefit from fill in flash as the riders are under the trees.

Cartier- Bresson (1999) makes a valid point when describing how a photographer should work: “no photographs taken with the aid of flash light either, if only out of respect of the actual light – even when there isn’t any of it. Unless a photographer observes such conditions as these, he may become an intolerably aggressive character.” I agree with this and avoid using flash in some situations; instead working with a high ISO and a wide aperture as using flash would be off putting for the rider

Image 5  

  

Canon 40D 1/250 f8 ISO400 Effective Focal Length 480mm

This rider was nearing completion. He shows real determination and pain. This is one of my favourite images. The colours are harmonious and the fluorescent jacket in the background is not too distracting.

What went well?

·         Telling moment  - action shot shows determination, pain, focus,

·         Explaining activity – rider’s body position, facial expression

·    Telephoto lens worked well especially at this length to show the rider’s facial expression. Background blurred to avoid distraction

What could be improved?

·   Crop to remove Garmin (although riders use these for checking their personal records post race)

·       Fluorescent jacket in the background is a little off-putting

Image 6       

 Canon 40D 1/250 F8 ISO800 Effective Focal Length 352mm

These two spectators were in close proximity and I am not sure if they were together or not. They were spectating at the technical section of the track – a hand built wooden bridge that some people were finding it difficult to ride. The young lad’s race had finished and he looked thoroughly fed up. He was playing with the tree rather than watch the race. The lady has an interesting facial expression – I couldn’t decide if she was worried or bored.  The boy’s bright helmet draws the viewer’s attention to him.  The longer focal length separates the people from the background.

What went well?

·         Telling moment  - boredom – boy playing with tree on and off

·         Explaining activity – action of playing

·         Long focal length and my position next to the track enabled me to shoot under the pretence of taking a photograph of a rider

What could be improved?

·       A lower camera angle may catch more of the boy’s face

·         Image could be sharper. Moved camera focus to AI Servo to track the riders and forgot to alter it back for this image. Need to remember which camera I have in my hand.

     Image 7

Canon 5D 1/800 f4 ISO400 50mm

A group of spectators gathered in front of me. Two had raced and one was using his phone to record the race. I liked the casualness of the group. There was no competitiveness between them. The man on the floor was engaged in conversation with man on the bike.

What went well?

·    Telling moment - spectators in conversation with each other – man on the floor engaged with the chap on the bike.

·      Explaining activity – spectators on edge of course – two watching the race and two engaged in conversation

·       Walked around the group and kept walking past until I was happy with the framing of the image

·       Colours are complementary

·     The standard focal length shows track and gives an idea of the perspective as the viewer can count the number of trees to give an idea of scale. I had included riders in the image but it became overcrowded and lost direction. I think this works as it shows the track and there is another spectator the other side of the tape.

What could be improved?

·    In the planning for this shot, I forgot to check my camera settings. Would work better with a smaller aperture and slower shutter speed. Men were under the trees and this was taken into sun.

Image 8

Canon 5D 1/400 f4 ISO400 105mm

This man was part of one of the teams and rebuilding a wheel. I asked him if he would be happy if I took some photos of him working. I thought his activity was relevant to the race and the items on display at the back of the tent was relevant – helmet and water bottles. The transparent window provided a different view of the spectators. I liked the reflection in the man’s glasses.

What went well?

·        Telling moment – repairing / rebuilding is part of racing.

·       Explaining activity – man occupied with mending a wheel – can see what he is doing and in the environment he is working

·       Colours work well together

·       Inclusion of the window adds a different view of the spectators

What could be improved?

·       I would not improve anything in this image

Image 9

 Canon 5D 1/400 f6.3 ISO400 105mm

This man is crossing the finishing line. There was not a finish flag, although there was a start flag at the beginning of the course. The commentator had asked that people did not stand in his way as he needed to see the numbers on the bikes. I tried to depict finishing with a water bottle and a hand as the man has made eye contact with the bottle. From his body language and facial expression, I assumed he was at the end of his race. I think this is the least successful of my images. It is a telling part of the event / sport

What went well?

·         Telling moment  - body language  - the man looks tired and fed up

·      Explaining activity – On such a hot day, the water bottle will be one of the first items the man needs

What could be improved?

·         Not quite in focus

·     I think the idea works but there needs to be more of the person’s arm who is holding the water bottle in the frame. Perhaps it should be the hand in focus rather than the rider?

·         There is another rider behind the man in the middle of the frame. I think if he was shown more, the image would work better. I would also consider cropping this so that the bike is on a third rather than in the middle.

Image 10

Canon 5D 1/100 f7.1 ISO400 58mm

I chose this podium image because the handshake and facial expressions are good. There is a lot going on within this image. The chap in the blue and white t shirt and jeans had awarded prizes to riders one and two. I liked the fact that everyone was happy and riders were congratulating each other. The rider with the yellow top on still had his helmet in place. I think some flash would have worked better but I did not want to be visible.

What went well?

·      Telling moment  - handshake, facial expressions show happiness, speed of event – rider had helmet on

·    Explaining activity – background shows a trailer in which a prize giving ceremony took place

What could be improved?

·        Use of flash

·      Telephoto lens (camera with telephoto lens was not set up for this and I didn’t have time to change it back)

Conclusion

In summary, throughout this assignment, I considered each image individually and identified what worked well, what was less successful and analysed the reasons for this.

Looking at my collection of images as a whole, there are differences between the facial expressions, body language on display, framing, angle of view, telephoto and standard focal length. I found it difficult to get a wide angled image in, although I had taken images where it looked like I was in the middle of the action. I think the timing of the actions worked and on the whole the viewpoint worked. The technical difficulty of the day was the strong sunlight and the race taking place under trees. I had no control over where the spectators stood or the direction of the race circuit so there are times when I had altered one camera to take one shot and picked up the other camera for another shot and forgot to alter the settings. I used two cameras and it helped me to capture the action without keep changing lenses. My learning point is to become familiar with both cameras (which are very similar) and it will make these situations easier.

On reflection, I made the correct choice to abandon my 1^st choice and work with this event. I was initially apprehensive as I was working without flash and experience showed me that flash does help in these situations.

References

Cartier - Bresson, H (1999) The Mind’s eye, Aperture Foundation, New York, p24

Cartier - Bresson, H (1999) The Mind’s eye, Aperture Foundation, New York, p25,

Cartier - Bresson, H (1999) The Mind’s eye, Aperture Foundation, New York, p28,

Bibliography

Angier, R (2007) Train your gaze – a practical and theoretical introduction to portrait photography, AVA publishing, SA

Badger, G (2007) The genius of photography – How photography has changed our lives Quadrille Publishing Ltd, UK

Cartier Bresson, H (1999) The mind’s eyeAperture Foundation, New York

Dyer, G (2012) The ongoing moment, Canongate Books ltd, Edinburgh

Short, M (2011) Basics creative photography - Context and narrative, AVA publishing, SA

A public space

7th July 2014

In preparation for this exercise, I searched Google looking at how public spaces are used by town councils. This clarified in my mind what a public space was and also gave me an idea of the type of conversation I could have if challenged by anyone.

I found a research paper developed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2007) which studied social interaction in urban places.I pulled out pieces which interested me and felt it complemented some of the images I had studied taken in the early days of street photography.

I visited Mansfield as it has a number of parks although was a little apprehensive as I felt last time I took photos in Mansfield that some of the residents were suspicious.

I chose a warm and sunny weekday so I expected people to be sitting in or strolling through parks and gardeners to be working. There was no-one in the first park, despite its proximity to the town centre and local small businesses. In the second park, I found ladies having picnics with pre-school children and workers on lunch breaks. There were a couple of teenagers and a group of very suspicious young men who challenged me. This may have been due to the "no alcohol" policy in the park or because they thought I was taking photographic evidence. (This image is not included on my blog.) My research paid off as I was able to give them a reason for what I was doing which they were happy enough with - and shared a joke. I was not about to cause trouble for them.

At the end of this activity, I was not really that happy with my images. I felt I could have done better and maybe I am not comfortable with a small place where everyone watches everything that is happening. When I compared these with the images to the ones I took in Newark at the beginning of this set of exercises, I felt I had almost taken a step back. I will be redoing exercise for my own personal satisfaction and development. 

Lunchtime Tichfield Park, Mansfield, Notts

 These two ladies were waiting for a friend to join them and eating their lunch at the same time. I like the space as it shows the emptiness of the park. Room for others and as I walked around the park, another lady joined the wall. Taking from the other direction would not have captured the lunch bag

This lady looked engrossed in her book. I liked the glass at the side of her. I thought she probably worked very close to the park.

These teenagers displayed typical behaviour - both lost in their own world and not communicating to each other. As time went on, they became playful and interacted with each other.

Schools out for students taking GCSE and A levels. These 2 girls were entertaining a younger child. I liked the inclusion of the potty. 

This image is not in focus but I liked the pose of the boy - slouched shoulders, headphones and on his phone.

Bibliography

http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2017-interactions-public-places.pdf accessed 7/7/14

Angier, R (2007) Train your gaze – a practical and theoretical introduction to portrait photography, AVA publishing, SA

Badger, G (2007) The genius of photography – How photography has changed our lives, Quadrille Publishing Ltd, UK

Cartier Bresson, H (1999) The mind’s eye, Aperture Foundation, New York

Dyer, G (2012) The ongoing moment, Canongate Books ltd, Edinburgh 

An organised event

L'Eroica Brittania, Bakewell, Derbyshire, UK

20-22nd June 2014

This exercise called for research and preparation into an event where there would be plenty of people moving around and I could photograph them freely. The aim was to think about explaining through my photographs. A series of photographs (each unique and self contained) should tell a story of an event.

I first thought of using the 100 years of Women's Institutes as events had been organised in Nottinghamshire to celebrate the baton passing through the county (as in the Commonwealth Games). After considering and talking through plans for my mother's WI,  I thought there were probably only about 5 or 6 shots possible without repetition, and I ruled it out as most of the event would be inside a dark building and  flash may distract the participants.

My next idea was a village show - few and far between in my area. My event also had to fit into my timescale. Whilst in tourist information, I came across a leaflet for L' Eroica Britannia which interested me as it was based around cycling and the first of its kind in Britain.

The ethos of this festival of cycling lay in re-use and re-discovery including promoting wellbeing of people and encouraging people to dust off their old bikes and take up cycling again, promoting local produce, and looking at how preserving the local unclassified roads and trails will benefit the locals and the environment  and help tourism in the area. There was an emphasis on helping to educating people within the community. The organisers hoped that if the event was successful, it could become a national event and attract overseas visitors.

Learning points from this exercise

• Lots of cameras and people taking photographs so it was easy to blend in
• However, people were aware that visitors were walking around with cameras
• Need to balance different focal lengths and use a variety of telephoto and wide angled images to get a good mix. 
• Very busy so use lenses for their particular qualities and avoid too much happening in one frame.
• Possibly use 2 cameras - 1 set up with a wide angle and one telephoto as 105mm is not long enough
• Need to show more faces - viewpoint
• Perhaps need more close-ups of people to tell more about what they are doing
• Like the stage images with words behind the men and the "smoothie miles" as they add additional information for the viewer.
• Had to crop a few images due to additional people detracting from the scene I was trying to depict

1/400 f8 ISO100 45mm

1/60 f8 ISO100 40mm

1/80 f8 ISO100 45mm

1/125 f8 ISO10045mm

1/100 f8 ISO100 40MM

1/125 F8 ISO100  40mm

1/100 f8 ISO100 45mm

1/640 f8 ISO200 24mm

1/250 f8 ISO10032mm

1/400 f8 ISO100 47mm

1/250 f8 ISO200 47mm

1/250 f8 ISO200 50mm

1/400 f8 ISO200 70mm

1/250 f8 ISO200 70mm

1/160 f8 ISO100 75mm

1/200 f8 ISO200 190mm

1/200 f8 ISO200 220mm

1/320 f8 ISO200 150mm

1/160  f8 ISO200 150mm

1/250 f8 ISO200 140mm

1/160 f8 ISO200 300mm

Standard focal length

10/6/14

This exercise looks at a scene through the lens in the same way that eyes view it (50mm). The aim is to" keep the attention firmly on what is happening within the scene without distraction"

In order to consider this exercise, I switched my lens to a prime 50mm lens as I thought it would remove the temptation to adjust the focal length by zooming in or out. 

I took my camera to my local market to observe activity. I am not sure whether it was the difference in the type of people, using a short lens or the fact that I now felt quite exposed as Mansfield is not really on the tourist map which led me to conclude that I needed to do this exercise again.

Trial 1 50mm prime lens Canon 5D mark 2

1/300 F8 ISO200 50mm

1/400 f8 ISO200 50mm

1/400 f8 ISO200 50mm

1/500 f8 ISO200 50mm

1/800 f8 ISO200 50mm 

On reflection I should have reduced the ISO to slow the shutter speed. My images were still a little blurred and I think that is because I was still walking whilst taking the images. I slowed my walking pace right down and circled the stalls but there wasn't really much happening.

I also thought these images did not encapsulate anything in particular. There seemed to be other things happening in the frame which detracted from what I was trying to show. As the lens is what the eye sees and doesn't have properties such as compressing or stretching the image, it comes down to finding the right scene.

Feeling a little disappointed with my images, I set up an experiment in the garden to look at the difference in quality between using my prime 50mm lens and a 24-105mm set at 50mm. 

12/6/14
I discovered that at the same aperture, different parts of the image were sharper. The prime lens was sharper on the periphery and the telephoto lens was sharper in the middle of the image. I concluded that the exercise may give better results in terms of focus using a telephoto lens.

Prime lens 1/320 f8 ISO100 50mm

Telephoto lens 1/250 f8 ISO100 50mm

Attempt 2 22/6/14 24-105mm telephoto lens Canon 5D mark 2

Cyclelive Nottingham 

Taking a variety of image gave me the opportunity to analyse where a 50mm focal length worked.

Image 1 - This is acceptable to me as the two riders are the focal point. The queue of riders sets the scene. The diagonal lines help with the dynamics and bring order to the image. I considered whether I should have crossed the barrier. Perhaps if I had stood further to the left, the barrier would have been uniform. The barrier adds to the diagonals. I could crop out the chap on the right side.

1/320 f8 ISO200 50mm

Image 2 - This scene shows groups maintaining personal space within the queue. I think it would work better if I was inside the queue.  Height would help here.

1/250 f8 ISO200 47mm

Image 3 - I liked the diagonal pattern and repetition of everyone doing the same thing. Position is not the best with the fencing  - detracts from the diagonals. The chap at the front of my image made me smile in his coat. This was the start of the 50mile bike ride on one of the hottest days of the year. It added diversity to the image and showed that not everyone was young, fit and wearing lycra.

1/200 f8 ISO200 60mm

Whilst reading Angier (2007) chapter 3 on people at the margin, it occurred to me that the reason the eye is drawn to this chap is because of his position within the frame. He looks different from the rest of the competitors in the image. If he was placed in the middle, he probably would not be as noticeable.

Image 4 - This did not work as well a I had hoped. I think in this case a telephoto lens would work to isolate the activity and focus on one set of finishers rather than all of them.

1/200 f8 ISO200 50mm

I think these images worked better than the first set because at the event everyone had the same purpose, although within the lines of people queueing people started to do their own thing or form little groups. 

Attempt 3 29/6/14 Scott MTB Church Stretton

Keen to further test the 50mm focal length, I practiced at another cycling event.

1/400 f8 ISO400 58mm

This competitor was adding the number to his bike with an onlooker watching how he attached it.I was concentrating on the man attaching his number and engaging in conversation with him. The onlooker provides another eyeline to the frame and the sense of watching someone watching someone. The fact that I cannot see his facial expression makes me wonder if he too is going to join in the conversation. 

1/500 f8 ISO400 40mm

This chap is applying suncream as part of his preparations. he is only a small part of all the activity in the field. Perhaps i would have been better to single out this chap with a telephoto lens or use a wide angle to show lots of activity. I don't consider this image as successful as others.

1/800 f8 ISO400 40mm

This image of bikes leaving works as bikes fill the frame and the rider on the left hand side is positioned to lead the viewer into the frame. The left hand side is cluttered with another wheel so timing is crucial. I think the answer is to take several images and have more to select from.

1/100 f8 ISO100  50mm

1/30 f14 ISO200 50mm

1/40 f14 ISO200 58mm

1/160 f8 ISO400 54mm

These images worked better using the properties of a wide angled lens. It was useful to take images with a 50mm to compare with stretching the image. The riders have no-where to go in these last two  images.

Reference
Angier R, (2007) Train your Gaze a practical and theoretical introduction to portrait photography, AVA publishing, SA, Chapter 3 "People at the margin: The edge of the frame".