Food, food and more food

Module: Digital Skills Acquisition Photography - Assignment Project 2

Assignment Brief:

Produce a double page spread for an editorial publication, representing a great British recipe created using natural light.

The final image will be an A3 DPS landscape image comprising of two single A4 images;

• One A4 location still-life food image
• One A4 location lifestyle food image

Reflection on brief:

The intent of the brief was to explore both photographic and Photoshop skills. In addition, and for me it also required making arrangements for the photoshoots with various restaurants to enable the image to be created, including the chef for the lifestyle image.  The assignment in addition to the main brief would also provide experience with developing communication skills that is an essential element when working within the profession.

Decisions:
A varied range of traditional British foods came to mind when considering this assignment including all the top 10 most popular British dishes, but I narrowed this down to:

• a starter - prawn cocktail,
• two main courses, including; fish and chips and/or Christmas turkey dinner. 

To give maximum potential to the editorial piece and be appealing to various publications in different markets with different clientele and wanting to include a local Newcastle element but not so obviously constrained to the North East of England, that it wouldn’t appeal to a wider audience.

The primary publication would therefore be for those magazine’s that would wish to run an editorial on "Chef’s in training" and the food that they could create, with this image being appropriate for a winter or December publication.

 

Arrangements were made with, Newcastle College, Chef's Academy, a training facility for apprentice Chef's. In addition to the primary purpose, the images could also be used by the college to promote the courses within its prospectus and/or on their web page (food images – secondary income from the original editorial) and/or food (turkey) supplier(s) magazine/journal together with trade organisations representing; Chef’s etc. 

Results:

Please see the images below that were created using available light and were my very first attempts at food photography.

Please note that the "fish and chips" were created at a different restaurant and the other pictures were all created at the Chef's Academy. I would like to thank both the restaurant and the Chef's Academy for their help with this assignment.

Final Editorial submission

Goodwood Breakfast Meeting(s)

Another trip to Goodwood aerodrome and motor racing circuit for the breakfast meeting(s)!

Nikon D50 and Nikkor 18-200 F/3.5-5.6

Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe and three of them!! Mega bucks!!
(Late 1950's)

Porsche Carerra GT

Talbot

Porsche

Lotus Elan (Late 60's)

AC Cobra

AC Cobra

Jaguar SS 100 - very rare c. 1936/38

Jaguar SS 100

Ford Escort Mk1

Sunbeam Tiger V8 c.1965

Aston Martin DB4 & DB2/4 Mk III

Rolls Royce(s)
The new Rolls Royce plant is located just behind the hedge line in the distance.



Lagonda (late 1920's)

Nikon D50 & Nikkor 18-200 F/3.5-5.6    1/30 F/11 ISO 200



Nikkor 18-200 F/3.5-5.6     1/125 F/8.0 ISO 200

Motorsport & Cars

Goodwood motor racing circuit, West Sussex.

Nikon D200, and Nikkor 80-200mm F/2.8 unless otherwise stated.



Yes it's Mr Bean in his armchair with mop on top of a driverless car
being chased by a Jaffa orange!!
Without the image I'd be accused of being on substances!!

Not many would remember these!!

1/350 F/6.7 ISO 200

1/350 F/8.0 ISO 200




Motorsport - old style

Goodwood motor racing circuit, West Sussex, for those that like the 50's & 60's motorsport era!!

 Nikon D200, and Nikkor 80-200mm F/2.8 unless otherwise stated.

1/350 sec F/6.7 ISO200

1/250sec F/6.7 ISO 200

1/250 F/8.0 ISO 200

1/250 F/8.0 ISO 100

1/250 F/8.0 ISO 100

1/180 F/9.5 ISO 100

Yes, it is the great Stirling Moss  1/250 F/8.0 ISO 100

Nikkor 18-200 F/3.5-5.6  1/350 F/8.0 ISO 100








Studio lighting demonstrations

On 21/22 November the college arranged a two day seminar with two working professionals Steve Howdle and former student Sam Brown as the main speakers. 

Each provided a summary of their working experiences in the photographic industry, from the time that they left college to where they are now, that was particularly enlightening. 

In addition, each provided a demonstration of one of their lighting techniques that included; 

Steve Howdle - lighting head and shoulders for the hairdressing market.

 



Sam Brown - lighting for product photography.

"Street Photography" Module: Practice enrichment photographic practice. AB2

Assignment brief 2

The second part of this module required two documentary style portraits of: a male and a female both wearing hats one using shallow depth of field and the second a great depth of field but only using available light and to be reproduced either in black and white or colour.

Reflection on brief:

This brief covered a number of aspects and not just the technical requirements but also the need to approach people who you do not know.  This provides experience with developing communication skills that is an essential skill when working within the profession.

Decisions:

For this brief I decided to cover the requirements both by walking the streets (Henri Cartier-Bresson style) using at first a fixed 35mm focal length lens and also a 24-70mm zoom.  In addition, I also made arrangements to visit a number of work environments, including a mine and a vintage railway yard.

Results:

I have reproduced six photos below that were taken during the time period given for the brief but in no particular order but I have highlighted the two submitted images for the assignment.  No Photoshop, just Lightroom.  All using available light.

Nikon D600 Nikkor 35mm F/2.0 1/1600sec F/3.2 ISO 400

Nikon D600 Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8 1/2000sec F/3.2 ISO 800

Final image
Nikon D600 Nikkor 35mm F/2.0 1/160sec F/8.0 ISO 200

Final image
Nikon D600 Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8 1/3200sec F/2.8 ISO 800

Nikon D600 Nikkor 24-70 F/2.8 1/50sec F/4.0 ISO 200

Reflection: 

A very interesting exercise and by using a 35mm lens for many images it proved not as easy as might first be thought. Producing an interesting image with a person filling most of the frame but leaving space in the image that provides further meaning to the overall image with such a lens (as used by the most well named early street photographers on a full frame camera) requires the photographer to be quite close to the subject.  As a result this has given me a better appreciation of the masters of this genre and the images they produced.  I suspect there were a lot of images that were binned for various reasons.

Module: Practice enrichment photographic practice. AB1

Assignment Brief 1: 

To create and make a portrait image in low or mid-key in the studio of a person wearing a hat, you have made!  Lighting to be provided using one but at the most two tungsten lights and accessories.

Hat you have made!  That was unexpected.

The brief also requires evidence of the research that informs the decision making process of selecting the hat and portrait style. 

Reflection on the brief: 

This is quite clever as this requires you to effectively create a mood board through undertaking research on both portrait style and the history of the hat and thereby informing your choice of hat to create. 

Oh the hat! I’m not a milliner and never really watched Blue Peter (for those that can remember Blue Peter on TV) so this will indeed be a challenge.  That said, it could be argued it follows the thinking and creation process many photographers have to go through when creating an image to fulfil a client’s brief or when creating and putting together a possible editorial piece requiring bespoke props and sets.

 

Decisions decisions:

To cut to the chase and after undertaking my research I have decided to make a contemporary Top Hat.  The idea is to create a contrast with what is considered the typical historic convention of the style and wearer and mine will be worn by a female.  The hat I've decided also needs to be different and unique.  For this assignment I also wanted to include green initiatives (i.e. recycling materials) so I will need to ensure the main material has been used for another purpose and no longer required.

The Hat

Following origami principles and using an old discarded photograph, I have constructed my hat (see images below).  This was indeed difficult and challenging to make and in particular the need for opposite 90 degree folds, however that said I'm rather pleased with the result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting point.  Discarded photo ready to be cut and folded.
(N.B. If someone knows the original photographer of the portrait then please let me know so I can credit their name.)

  

 



 

 

 

 

One of two cut and folded sections.  Note the abortive attempt in the background which split on repeated folds. An occupational hazard of Origami.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Completed hat with two joined folded pieces.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 First image looking at creating shadows on the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final image for submission.

 

Nikon D600 Nikkor 85mm F/1.8 1/100sec F/2.0 ISO 200 Manual Mode.

1x Arri 300 tungsten light, barn doors and diffusion screen.

 

Reflection: This concept needs to be developed further with more panache and different styles and poses. With regard to this image I think I would choose to increase the depth of field and compensate with higher ISO.  To provide more latitude mounting the camera on a tripod rather than hand held would have opened up further possibilities.  The hat you might see again if I develop this brief further.

A degree – The first assignments

For those that are following my blog you will already know that this includes my experiences as a mature student undertaking a full-time degree in photography in the UK. (Please see the posts “In the beginning …”)

My last post explained the course modules and the next few post will be about the three assignments that had to be completed within; Practice enrichment photographic practice.

A degree ...............of anxiety, possibly despair and OMG!!

Anyone who thought full time students had the "life of Riley" need to see the schedule and assignments for this photographic degree course.  They come thick and fast, a baptism of fire in a work and research sense.

Well we (fellow students) are approx. 8 weeks in to the course now and I'm not sure whether I'm, counterbore or countersink.  Nearly sunk then sink, I think! Evenings and weekends are just more working hours of, research harvesting before photo assignments and writing.

Anyway, for those that are pondering what we are doing to improve our understanding and honing further our skill set, these are the course modules and the schedule we are covering before Christmas 2013, yes Christmas 2013, now only a few weeks away (more on all of these later):

• Practice enrichment photographic practice - now complete.
• Digital skills acquisition photography - Work-in-progress (WIP)
• Contextual studies photographic practice - WIP
• Personal professional development (PPD1) - WIP

In a couple of weeks we will also be starting;

• Work based learning (WBL)

After Christmas it will be;

• Studio portraiture
• Location photography
• PPD1 (as above) and
• WBL (as above)

It would seem that Christmas maybe shelved this year as we have to hand-in, reports/assignments on 6 January 2014.  "Oh poor student", I hear you cry ......not!!! 

I also think, I can hear some parents say, "well when I was at University I ..........." Oh hum!!

In addition, I probably can hear some working photographers saying "welcome to the real world of being a photographer and satisfying demanding clients."

Oh, what have we let ourselves in for!!

Answers on a post card No answers and comments in the comments part below please.

Street Photography (Victorian Portsmouth)

Some black and white street portraits/photographs based on a Victorian theme at Portsmouth Naval dockyard just before Christmas.  I Hope you enjoy them. No Photoshop just Lightroom.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 80-200 F/2.8 1/125 F/4.0 ISO 180. Manual setting. Natural light.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 80-200 F/2.8 1/250 F/4.0 ISO 180 Manual setting. Natural light.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 80-200 F/2.8 1/250sec F/4.0 ISO 200 Manual setting. Natural light.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 80-200 F/2.8 1/350 sec F/4.0 ISO 100 Manual setting. Natural light.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 80-200 F/2.8 1/350 sec F/4.0 ISO 100 Manual setting. Natural light