Assignment 3 - Monochrome

Digital Photographic Practice – Assignment 3, Monochrome

While the technique of altering colour sliders in order to adjust the tones as they appear in black and white will play an important part in this assignment, more fundamental is the different creative effect of a monochrome image. During the course of the previous three exercises I had the opportunity to consider what makes a good subject and picture conditions for black and white, and what different image sensibilities should be brought to the photography.

For this assignment, I am to choose a theme or subject that I will conceive, shoot and process in black and white, attempting to bring out the monochrome image qualities of form, tonal contrast and texture.

Areas I have considered for this assignment are:  nature, trees have a variety of texture to their various barks and flowers can show lines and curves nicely in monochrome. There are portraits, also effective in monochrome, especially with an older face full of character. The other option I am thinking of is that of dramatic sky's, cloud formations offer some variety of tone for monochrome images. When I consider some of my favourite photographers, William Klein, Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Capa, from where my love of monochrome photography came from, maybe I should consider finding images that I could try to re-create. I'll give this some thought as the assignment isn't just about monochrome images it's images that demonstrate form, tonal contrast and texture.

I shot my assignment in Rome, where I had an enormous choice of types of images to shoot. I approached the assignment with a 'geometrical' focus in mind, as Cartier-Bresson style showed beautifully in so many of his images. I shot most of my images with the monochrome setting on my camera but have included some that I had to convert from colour, this is was to the combination of time when changing the settings when faced with a good image to be taken quickly rather than lost and getting used to the new camera purchased a week or so before leaving for Rome (Canon 700D), the touch screen being a fantastic upgrade from the Canon 500D.

Link to my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinecollinsphotography/

Link to my blog: http://carolinecollinsdpp.blogspot.co.uk/

Coliseum & Pllars                                                                                                                                                      ISO200 f/3.5 1/2500
My intention behind this image was to fit both the coliseum and the pillars on the edge of the forum area into the frame, this difficulty was the distance between the two, several hundred yards. I took the image on an angle but adjusted in Lightroom to achieve the best diagonal to include enough of each of the lines of the railings and the coliseum to balance the frame. The exposure, brightness, contrast and the tone curve adjusted to ensure the shape of the arches were defined without creating an image that was too dark

Tutor comment: 

In this image the diagonal view make for an interesting approach.  I think the depth of field needs to be larger so that the background of the Colosseum is in focus to pull the eye into and through the frame.

Spanish steps                                                                                                                                                            ISO200 f/5.00 1/640 70mm                                                                                                                                            My intention behind this image was to take a picture of a recognised  tourist hot spot, but an image that is really quite different from the norm. The image took quite a while to shoot, due to the angle I wanted to achieve and without tourists coming into frame. I wanted to show the many angles, lines and ‘geometry’  the steps and on a diagonal, leading the eye to the very top which was also the top of the frame.  I used Lightroom to slightly adjust the contrast and blacks to define the lines.

Tutor comment: This is a very successful abstraction of the steps.  The angle of views allows the diagonals to add dynamism to the frame.  The pillar on the middle right hand side edge is a little distracting.

Vatican ceiling                                                                                                                                                            ISO200 f/3.5 1/13                                                                                                                                                            
The ceiling of the Vatican is such a spectacle of perfect symmetry that this image attempts to capture and demonstrate this. I carried out several adjustments in Lightroom in order to balance out the shadows to define the shapes created by the dome and arches. The light from the window in the centre of the image increased the dynamic range of the image casting a shadow downwards across the centre oval shape, this was removed using the lights, darks and shadows of the tone curve. 

Tutor comment: This image by being in black and white losses some of the power of the painted ceiling.  The image becomes more about the shapes formed by the domes. The image on the page does not seem to be in sharp focus – but this could be caused by using Word to display the images.

Swiss guard off guard                                                                                                                                              ISO200 f/5.0 1/50                                                                                                                                                                   This image was capture whilst walking around the Vatican City, the Swiss Guard looked like they were quite amused by something behind them, turning them around from their usual position. I took the image very quickly to capture this moment ‘off guard’. The image was straightened in Lightroom and the tone curve adjusted to lighten the shadows slightly behind the guards to reveal more detail in the columns.

Tutor comments: This is a very framed image.  The use of black and work works as the figures stands out against the softer grey tones of the building. 

Downhill railings                                                                                                                                                      
ISO200 f/3.5 1/400 42mm                                                                                                                                                 My intention behind this image was to create a Henri Cartier Bresson style of image to create the feeling of ‘going downhill’, I had in mind the image of the spiral steps with the bicycle moving past. I carried out intentional extensive adjustment to the brightness, exposure and increased the black to emphasise the lines of the railings and remove detail from elsewhere, leading the eye down hill to the gate at the bottom where there is a man walking through.

Tutor comments: This image does have a resonance with the Henri Cartier Bresson image.  However the contrast is too high as the highlights are burnt out.  There does need to be some foreground interest to lead the eye into the frame, the figure is too small at the base to provide this interest.

Corrected: I've reduced the exposure and contrast to reduce the burnt out look

Spotty wall                                                                                                                                                        
ISO200 f/3.5 1/400 42mm                                                                                                                                
Again with this image I had Henri Cartier Bresson in mind with the emphasis on the geometry of the ‘dotted’ windows. The tone curve adjustments were use slightly to emphasise the windows keeping the white of the window frames. I also cropped the image a little, not very Cartier Bresson but there was a large tree to the left of the image, leaving a little of the tree though gave the image some depth as without this it appeared flat.

 Tutor comments: This image has potential.  The main issue is that the building is not straight on in the frame.  You could use Photoshop to warp the lines so that they appear straight and linear and the image will become much more powerful.

Big arch little arch                                                                                                                                                         ISO200 f/3.2 1/3200

This image was taken at the coliseum, my intention was to show the geometry and relationship between the decreasing sharply angled arches. I adjusted the lights and shadows in the tonal curve and using the yellow slider to make the shadows of the stone stand out and in an attempt to reduce the brightness of the sunlight hitting the ground at the bottom of the frame with red slider adjusted to softened the edge of the shadow, this adjustment also defined the lines and shapes I intended to capture.

Tutor feedback: A well-spotted view to use the two arches to the frame the image.  The smaller arch is placed a little too close to the right hand arch and looks like it is trying to disappear out of the frame.  The exposure has been well controlled.

The following are further images I am submitting for my assignment. When I planned my assignment shooting in Rome, I thought only of the wonderful sights, the usual tourist hot spots and the beautiful architecture in abundance at every turn. I also discovered on my journeys around the city that there is a darker element in abundance, that of the many beggars. As I took the images I felt they captured this less exiting element to Rome but added another element to the set of photo's that of basic human need in the face of decadence and tourism and decided to include the images, not really to compliment my set of ‘geometrical’ images of the tourist sites, but more to contrast with them.

The Other Side of Rome

                                                                                                                                                     

Woman on a crate                                                                                                                                                  
ISO200 f/5.6 1/600                                                                                                                                               
On first impressions, this looked like a woman simply having a rest from walking in the searing heat, but on closer inspection she is sat on a upright crate holding a paper cup with loose change in, she had also fallen asleep sitting on her crate. I made some adjustments to increase the contrast and also using the colour sliders I increased the red, which made the wrinkles on her arm more detailed. The yellow slider was increased to lighten the paper cup, make it more noticeable.

 Tutor comment: The image is well framed and the exposure is controlled well.  However the image looks not quite sharp – this again could be caused by using word to show the images.

Beggar with tub                                                                                                                                                                       ISO200 f/5.0 1/400

This lady was begging outside the Vatican city, where many people were gathering around a water fountain. She carried a small plastic tub with an image of the Virgin Mary, asking for money. I gave her some money for which she kindly stood for a couple of minutes while I took her photograph, which I took with her to the side in order to include the priest in the back ground which adds an interesting element to the image. I used Lightroom to adjust the shadow with the red slider lifting her complexion  a little more so with the orange slider. The aqua and yellow gave a little more definition of the Virgin Mary card.

Tutor comment: An interesting framing, which works well to allow the context to be seen over her shoulder.  The whites are slightly burnt out.  The recovery slider may help you place some detail back in on these.

Adjusted: The recovery slider wasn't showing in LR so I reduced the 'lights' and increased the 'shadow' in the tonal curve in an attempt to correct the image. There is certainly more detail in the previous lighter area of the tub. 

Disabled man on skateboard                                                                                                                               ISO200 f/3.5 1/200 31mm                                                                                                                                
This image was taken at a tourist favourite where thousands flock to admire the beautiful Trevi Fountain. As usual it was very busy in the surrounding area so getting any image without tourists was impossible, I decided to include the tourists in this shot because they were all looking the in the other direction of the man on the skateboard, he drew some attention due to the great difficulty he had simply moving around but this image encompasses many things, the fact that disabled man is looking in the direction of the group of people seeming to wish for them to look at him makes for uncomfortable viewing of this image. Minor adjustments were made to this image using Lightroom, for the contrast and shadows.

Tutor comment:  This image is quite flat in tonality as mainly mid-tones dominate.  There lacks a central interest to grab viewer.  I think a different shooting position is needed to either identify more with the bystanders or the disabled man.

Blind man on steps                                                                                                                                                       ISO200 f/4.0 1/125 19mm                                                                                                                                                      
I took this image whist going down a number of steps when half way down there was a beggar sitting to the side, I quickly set my camera to live view and by using the touch screen was able to touch focus on this blind man as we put money in the hat. I find this image quite a sad one as he was smiling at everyone passing by.  Again I didn’t alter the image much only to make minor enhancements to the shadows and blacks in Lightroom.

Tutor comment: A very interesting viewpoint.  The depth of field could be larger again so that the detail could be seen on his hand holding the cane.

Beggar with stick                                                                                                                                               
ISO200 f/3.5 1/250 42mm                                                                                                                                 
This image was taken very near to the coliseum and was of a person bent over with a stick and appeared to be shuffling along, I found the fact that the hands were covered and the face covered quite interesting as it was 40 degrees and this person was covered head to foot, this may be a cynical thought though and the person may well have a good reason for choice of dress. I adjusted the image in Lightroom using the blacks and contrast and to add a little vignette to the edges.

Tutor comment: For this image the headscarf is blending into the walls so some tonal definition is need.  Using sliders in Lightroom might help you to get some separation.

Adjusted: The sliders in LR were unavailable, instead I increased the 'highlights' which made the white areas of the headscarf stand out a little more but I'm unsure if this has helped 

Beggar on the bridge                                                                                                                                                   ISO200 f/14 1/40 23mm                                                                                                                                                   This image of a begger sat on a bridge was taken again with the live view touch screen focus as we walked over the bridge, I like the fact he is wearing the cross and has his hand outstretched. I used Lightroom to increase the contrast and blacks to take some of the brightness out of the stones at the bottom of the frame.

Tutor comments: Again this image seems to be soft in focus – it could be the use of the touch screen focus.  You may wish to try this out to check how sharp/accurate it can be.

All the beggars in these images received small change in exchange for their photograph