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".

Close and involved

4/7/14

This exercise involved using a wide angled lens (28mm or less) to observe what happened and how it felt when using it close to people to put the viewer inside the situation.

I used a mountain bike event I was at to look at 3 different ways of using the wide angled lens to illustrate being in the action.

Stands

1/800 F4 ISO400 35mm

For this image I stood very near to the buckets hoping to capture the feeling of looking at the stand without being a customer. I think it would be more successful if there were more people around it.

Advantages:

• Shows stand and interactions
• Can capture more than one group of activity

Disadvantages:

• Actions captured rather than facial expressions
• Which focusing point to use? In this case I used the centre focus point.
• Very visible - peoples facial expressions may change

The mass start

1/500 F8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Stood at side of rider

Here there is too much space in the foreground (a large patch of empty green grass)

Advantages:

• Rider interaction, facial expression, could almost be part of the ride 

Disadvantages:

•  Properties of the wide angle seem to create space in the foreground.

1/640 f8 ISO400 24mm

 Position: Between these two riders

Advantages:

• Could again be part of the ride
• Viewer is directed to look between the riders

Disadvantages:

• Felt intrusive

1/100 f8 ISO400 24mm

 Position: camera raised in air to obtain a higher viewpoint

Advantages:

• Same position, more people captured - looks busier

Disadvantages:

• Space on grass more visible. Didn't seem to matter where I stood, I found patches of unfilled grass.
• Difficulty with not actually knowing what I was shooting

1/500 f8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Stood behind a group of friends

I should perhaps have been stood between the two bikes to capture facial expressions rather than body language. However, I think this type of image plays its part in telling a story.This shows interaction whereas the others show singularity or riders preparing and focusing themselves.

Advantages:

• Person at front of group facing me was too busy drinking to stop what he was doing and pose, other riders setting mobile phones. (Unseen)
• Interaction in the activity whereas if I took this with a longer focal length, the crowd of bikers would not be so visible
• Space created with lens helps to separate group of riders from the crowd

Disadvantages:

• Have to choose moment carefully to avoid being seen

The ride

1/30 f14 SSO100 24mm

Position: Side of track

Inspired by images in mountain bike magazines which I read from time to time, I had a go at taking the shot as soon as someone came into view on the track. he idea of using a wide angled lens appealed because the scenery is more visible.

Advantages:

• In with the action
• Shows the path the riders will take
• Rider is unaware that you are taking their photograph.

Disadvantages:

• Have to press the shutter at the right moment. Need awareness of who is coming up and what speed they are travelling at.
• A small amount of travel into the frame and the effect is lost.
• In my case - image would be improved by setting focus point to far left. Centre of image is in focus, riders are not. (Change and change back)

1/160 f8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Just in front of water crossing

Advantages: 

• Rider fills third of frame
• Rider aware when passing but I could have been taking an image of anything

Disadvantages:

• Deciding which rider to have in focus (should have had nearest rider in focus. Middle group in in focus so would need the image very large to see that.
• Would have been better to capture rider before he approached rather than when he approached
• Wide angle flattened out the hill
• Distortion at the edge of the frame

Learning points

This was an exercise which I was worried about doing because it involved almost invading peoples personal space to take some images. By using an event in which I knew there would be other photographers and people with cameras, I found it easier to do. Having experimented with different positions and analysed my photos, I think I could improve on these at another MTB event. My one regret is not turning round and taking images from the viewers point of view rather than the rider's point of view.