INSPIRATION - WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

While feeling uninspired about what to write here next, the thought eventually occurred to me that inspiration itself might be appropriate. Where does inspiration come from? For photographers, it can derive from many sources: art, the photographic work of others, the media, our environment both natural and man-made, books, magazines, the internet, music, thoughts of our past experiences, etc. The list is endless and I'm sure you could compile your own. We are not only influenced by our own thoughts and those of others, but everything in our environment. Photographic opportunities are wherever we go, so being inspired by something is really a matter of becoming attuned to and exploring such possibilities. What at first glance may appear to be a boring subject and not worthy of photographing could easily prove to be otherwise. In a world where instant gratification and throw away products have become the norm, it can be worthwhile sometimes to pause for a while to 'smell the roses'. I take many photographs of varied subjects, but am not always feeling inspired at the time and an idea may only come later as to what to do with a particular shot. Unprocessed images often sit dormant for weeks, months or even years before getting an airing, usually after something has inspired me. I was inspired recently when thinking of an interesting place I visited a few years ago in Takayama, Japan, which is rich in heritage and the oldest settled area in the country. This image from Takayama depicts two elderly ladies in conversation at a shop window. Nothing out of the ordinary really and not a brilliant shot, but the more I looked at it the more I noticed.....including a reflection of my daughter on the right photographing the same scene (click image for larger view).

FACETTED 2

This is one of my favourite pieces of architecture in the city in which I reside. The image depicts two buildings on a university campus adjacent to each other, connected by an overhead pedestrian link. I have returned many times to view the brutal design elements employed and the way the visual aspect changes with the various light reflections on the facetted glass, giving it a magical everchanging character. It was shot handheld using a UV filter in conjunction with a 10-20mm lens. The Hawke Building is on the right and the Kaurna Building is opposite......they are situated at City West Campus of the University of South Australia.

DARK ANGEL

While meandering through city parklands recently looking for something suitable to photograph, I saw this marble memorial in the distance with what appeared to be a life-sized statue adjacent. As I got closer it became apparent that it was no ordinary figure.......it was a magnificently sculpted bronze angel standing on the steps and bearing a palm branch. The building itself did not seem imposing and the sculpture, although the main feature to my way of thinking, seemed like a most effective afterthought. It was a dull day so I returned another time when the light was better and shot it handheld from different angles. That's my hat on the steps and was deliberately placed to counterbalance the composition and add a visual distraction to the strong prescence of the main subject.......what I know refer to as my 'Dark Angel'. Some post editing was done to cause a slight colour shift and some vignetting added (non-hdr). The monument is in Angus Gardens, Adelaide - South Australia, was erected in 1915 and attributed to WR Cotton. It is dedicated to George Fife Angus and John Howard Angus, pioneers, pastoralists and philanthropists.

IMAGE MANIPULATION - Pt 2

With digital cameras and modern graphics software, photo manipulation has become more popular than ever. Photoshop and other applications are now commonplace and provide a means to an end, much as film darkrooms did not so long ago. Having had several of the latter, I'm no newcomer to photo manipulation and am of the belief that if an image can be improved in any way, then that has to be a good thing. Often just a touch of sharpening or contrast adjustment is all that is needed to make an otherwise mediocre shot ZING, but at other times it can take a lot more. Here is a before/after exercise, beginning with a raw image. This example is probably a bit over the top, but it was done to make a point. The original was flat and taken in overcast, dull conditions but the information was still there and has become especially apparent in the clouds of the day.

ARCHITECTURE IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

Architecture is to do with the designing of buildings and structures, but in its broader meaning it also includes the design of our complete built environment. It can be found in outback areas, on mountain peaks, almost anywhere on the land, even on the sea in the form of oil rigs and it surrounds us in our places of abode. We tend to take it for granted and complain when its appeareance doesn't suit our taste. Architecture provides us with shelter, places to work, gives us points of reference in our urban wilderness, but most important of all, it provides a fundamental basis for the way we live. Architecture is ephemeral, can be a thing of great beauty, and its elements can be pillaged and used as building blocks by successive generations. Past civilizations are often known through their achievements in architecture and certain works have become cultural, political and artistic icons. Presumably a family once lived in this little house at Fernie, British Columbia. It now stands derelict and isolated, yet it seems to exist as a monument to the toil of hard working rural people anywhere. The image was captured during summer 2008 towards the end of a photographic journey through the Canadian Rockies.

TEXTURE

Texture is an appealing quality both in the visual and tactile sense. It is a way of describing things around us and can take the form of patterns, random or otherwise, rough and smooth surfaces with all combinations in between, lines, contrasting shapes and colours. etc. It is something we experience and deal with every day and in a way is second nature to us, yet is an important aspect in the appreciation of our environment. Seeing texture depicted in a photograph can help us relate to what we see but cannot touch. I don't recall touching this dilapidated old barn at Golden in the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, but having walked around it, looked inside, photographed it from every conceivable angle and edited the results to emphasize the textures and colours in the timber, I feel in a way as though I have some sort of empathy with it.

ARCHITECTURE WITH CHARACTER

Old rural buildings have often been built from local materials and can ooze with character. Their weather worn structures and eroded surfaces exhibit textures and muted tones that are not seen in buildings of recent times. This woolshed was built in 1876 and is located at 'Anlaby' a former sheep station near Kapunda, South Australia. It was constructed with brick and stone walls, timber floors, posts, sheep enclosures and roof trusses and roofed with corrugated iron. In spite of it's age it is still in good condition and has been well looked after. This heritage listed building is featured in my most recently published book 'ARCHITECTURE WITH CHARACTER - A Photographic Collection of Old Buildings'

GRAPHIC PRESENTATION

Taking a straight photograph and turning it into a graphic image with different qualities from the original can be a challenge. Not everything is as it seems, especially after using the power of manipulation with software. I often get an idea to do something after experimenting. Of course the result is not always visually pleasing but is usually a good lesson learned using various techniques. This image is of a revolving glass door in a recently completed office building and people kept moving through it as I waited for it to come to a standstill. I liked the reflections of the buildings behind me and also those of the church adjacent. What I didn't notice however until editing was completed, was my own reflection. Giving the image a duality and making parts of it negative seemed to give it more depth and interest. Click image for large version.

ESSENCE

It has occurred to me that being a photographer is a bit like being an alchemist of yore. One needs to extract and distill the essence of a subject then present it, with or without context. The main challenge is to establish just what those characteristics are in any given instance, not an easy task for a photographer on the fly. Pre-meditation and instinct play a large part in discovering the magical ingredients and how they react together. There is no formula for this because every situation is slightly different and that is where trial and error though experimentation is important. A successful image is one that imparts that certain something to the viewer, or as the French elegantly put it, that certain 'je nes sais quoi' which literally translates to 'I know not what' and is often used to describe something of an unknown yet appealing quality. Essence, when applied to photography is more than words and images, it is a feeling that is projected to the viewer.

ZOOM ME

I often use my 18-200mm lens to zoom in on parts of buildings rather than presenting them in their entirety. Singling out and focusing on such details can be more visually appealing by presenting parts of an edifice that would otherwise not be noticed. The range of such a lens is a great advantage for architectural photography by allowing for different images to be shot from a fixed position and for instances where getting close to a building is not possible or inconvenient. This image was shot in the CBD of Sydney, Australia on a bright but overcast day during winter. The orange coloured accents and the curved shapes were what attracted me. The zoom lens did its job because I was at a fair distance from the building, yet it allowed me to capture the details required.

GLASS COLLAGE

The original image was shot while on a quick visit one balmy evening at dusk last summer in downtown Edmonton, Alberta - Canada. The light was rapidly fading but it gave a vivid glow to a cluster of tall glass-clad buildings. During processing it occurred to me to slightly alter the colours by saturation and create a collage effect, making a sort of angular abstract pattern which did not exist yet seemed to add an extra depth and interest to the fairly bland, flat facades. It's more of a graphic representation of what I saw and visualized, certainly not photography in the strict sense but fun to do anyway. Doing a 'straight' shot usually bores me quickly so I never have any qualms about developing an image further if I can envisage another direction and outcome, as long as it retains the spirit of what I saw at the time of capture.

FACETTED

The Hawke Building on the City West Campus, University of South Australia. I have photographed this building many times before and probably will again because it fascinates me. Its multi-facets of glass and bold concrete and steel shapes present an ever changing view depending on the quality and direction of ambient light. The somewhat brutal appearance has been well handled from a design aspect and it sits well in the campus environment, adding it's own character to the street and to the whole. I chose to process this image with hdr software, using 9 separate exposures taken from the original. This assisted in accentuating the clouds and reflections and in bringing out the general massing of the structure on a prominent corner. Student access at this intersection is not only at ground level but also via upper level walkways which can be seen above.

LOOK UP

Try looking up when taking architectural shots. That way the view can be dramatic with perspective exaggerated and selected parts of buildings can be given more emphasis if required. Looking up also avoids the visual clutter at street level which on most buildings can be a distraction, especially if people are involved and they do not serve a purpose in the image. Negative shapes of the sky or other background are always an integral part of the composition and consideration should be given as to how they relate to the foreground shapes which are obstensibly the subject. Take time to experience how the different views through your camera lens alter them, being aware of how the edges of your camera view interact with or influence the lines and angles of your subject. This approach emphasizes the abstract nature of the composition. Most of us tend to view things at street level, rarely looking up and therefore miss these opportunities.

SETTINGS AND EQUIPMENT

For this type of shot, the most ideal lighting is strong natural daylight. Time of day is not that important, although good contrasting shadows can give the illusion of three dimensionality to an otherwise flat image. Programmed exposure mode, multi–pattern metering and 100 ISO are most suitable settings for on–the–fly, non–setup work such as this. I use a hand–held Nikon D80 camera and two lenses for architectural photography, a Nikkor 18–200mm VR lens for picking out distant details, while a Sigma 10–20mm wide angle lens is used for dramatic effect and where standing at a distance is not possible.

(This is the unedited text version of my 'Reader's Advice' article published in issue 71 of Digital Camera magazine, April 2008).

COLOUR

Just as monotone images can be used to a photographer’s advantage, so too can coloured ones. Instead of de-emphasizing certain aspects of an image, colour can be employed as a visual stimulus by directing attention to a certain part or parts of a compositon. In that respect, colour can be utilized as an aid in composition by creating a focal point to which the viewer’s eyes are directed. Colour is an important consideration in evoking emotions and commercial photographers make good use of that in advertisements. Subtle use of colour can also be effective. When we are presented with a colourful image it can often be confrontational because our eyes are not as selective in seeking out those things we wish to see by eliminating others.........as when looking at an actual scene. Instead, images for display get our undivided visual attention, so care needs to be taken if we want our photos to convey that certain something. Colour is an important thing in our everyday lives and can be a useful tool for our creative ideas.

OLD CAMERAS

Old cameras hold a fascination for me and I have a small collection of them, mainly of the box variety, but my favourite is a Russian made Lubitel II. It's a twin lens reflex camera and they were produced by the Gomz factory between 1950-56. About 1.33 million were made during that period. The aperture settings go from f4.5 to f22, focal length 75mm, with a focusing range from 1.3m to infinity and adjustable shutter speeds from 1/10-1/250sec and 'B'. It used 120 film with a frame size of 60 x 60mm. When I aquired this camera in the mid- 1970s, I put a couple of films through it with reasonably sharp and contrasting results. The subjects were barns and crumbling farm houses in the country which were much older than this camera. I somehow miss film cameras but appreciate the benefits of digital technology.

LIGHT AND SHADE

Sciagraphy is the art or science of projecting or delineating shadows as they fall in nature. As part of training for my career, I studied sciagraphy for six months, drawing the effects of light and the shadows it cast on solid objects and the ground. When I was a kid I found a strip of old 35mm cinematic film that had been thrown out from the local picture theatre. I was fascinated by the fact that each frame was slightly different to that which preceded it and to those that followed it. I had a toy projector in which the film could be wound through manually and my interest in photography began. The light, shade and colour of the film impressed me and seemed magical. Getting my first box camera soon afterwards clinched my further interest and I've had many cameras since. The quality of light and shade are photographic elements that have been all important to me since those early experiences.

BUILDING HERITAGE

Old buildings are a rich source of subject matter for photographers. Not only are they usually full of character, but they exhibit skills and methods of construction that are virtually lost in the modern era. Although I like some recent architecture for its sleek lines and good design attributes, buildings from the past remain one of my favourite subjects. Unfortunately, with the rapaciousness of contemporary developers and general apathy and lack of forethought from the powers that be, much of our old and worthwhile building stock is being destroyed. It is the wise and thoughtful developer who can find a way to restore and give a new lease of life to our building heritage. Photographers can also have an important role by recording such important heritage for posterity. The brick building above is part of a disused flour mill on a wharf and has been earmarked to be restored and used in a new apartment complex.

IMAGE MANIPULATION - Pt 1

This is something that most of us do to some extent, even if it is only to adjust a camera setting. Software has made the things that were done to an image in the darkroom much easier......those alterations that were once virtually impossible or difficult to achieve, have now become a relatively commonplace thing. In spite of all the manipulative power at our fingertips, there are still the purists who maintain that the least that is done to an image the better. Each to their own I suppose. Manipulation is not always easy but with a bit of practice it becomes easier and can open the door to fresh ideas.

MONOTONE

Monotone can be a useful way to depict an image by reducing it to its tonal values. That can eliminate the visual distraction often caused by colour which does not always help a composition or its intended meaning. Colours create their own emphasis which is often misplaced. Black and white photography can be effective in creating contrasting images which emphasize light and shade and all the subtle tones in between. Although colour photography has given us a more realistic looking medium to work with, it is not always as challenging or as successful. All my darkroom work was b+w and I still enjoy dabbling with it now digitally. A combination of colour and b+w is a good way of de-emphasizing part of an image by removing colour where emphasis is not required.

ABSTRACT COMPOSITION

That probably seems like a contradiction of terms. Not so, because even an abstract needs composition to be visually effective. One dictionary definition of abstract is given as ‘difficult to understand’. With any form of abstract art, we sometimes need to be told just what we are looking at and only then can we begin to comprehend what was previously a mystery. The artist knew what was meant because he/she was the creator. Denying the viewer any sense of scale in an architectural image can add to its abstract quality…….so can removing a subject from its environmental context. That isolation whether done in-camera or by editing can serve to make the subject, its detail, pattern, texture, etc., more apparent and poignant by drawing attention to something that may not otherwise be noticed.

Another form of abstraction can be achieved by a combination of images which are similar or different. The image on the left above is an example of isolation by some hefty cropping and the right one utilizes similar images that have been juxtaposed. The possibilities are endless and are limited only by one’s imagination.

RULE OF THIRDS

The R O T is one of my pet hates in photography. It's important to understand it when composing and/or cropping an image, but once the concept is grasped and one is familiar with structure within the frame, the R O T can become an uneccessary restriction which can lead to formulaic, predictable looking images. Freeing up the frame also offers greater possibilities for symmetrical and abstract work. The rule of thirds is not always that significant and is really a visual comfort thing and often a meaningless ploy, automatically done. A point or points of visual focus can be anywhere.......or not, yet the result can still be effective.

PERSPECTIVE

Perspective is usually an important consideration in architectural photography because it helps create the illusion of 3-dimensionality and depth in an otherwise flat medium. Wide angle lenses can be used to advantage to accentuate perspective and although not always realistic in appearance, can often enhance and dramatise an otherwise ordinary view. A 10-20mm wide angle lens with a focal length of 10mm was used for both of these images and the camera was hand held. Converging vertical perspective was not wanted in the left hand image, so care was taken to keep the vertical lines parallel. In the right hand image however, vertical perspective was desirable to add to the dramatic view by accentuating the reality.

FILTERS

With film photography, a polarizer was the only filter I used with colour shots and some great effects were achieved, especially if there was a bright blue sky with some white clouds present. Black and white film offered different opportunities and the use of a yellow, red or orange filter could create some dramatically contrasting skies on a sunny day. Digital photography presents us with a whole new range of things to do with filters. I haven't had much success with polarizers or graduated filters and prefer to keep the pixels intact as much as possible in the original image and only use a good quality UV filter to cut out haze and improve clarity. Polarizers, coloured and grad filters alter the image in such a way that their effects cannot be reversed if they are later deemed to be undesirable....but that can be overcome by also taking an unfiltered shot of the subject. I've found that care needs to be excercised with filters, whether applied before or afterwards, because they can cause gradation bands and colour degradation including artifacts in the finished product. Software filters were used during the editing process on the above images without any apparent problems.

HDR

I have noticed that many photographers who knock HDR (high dynamic range) photography, do so because they are concerned about their images not being faithful to what they perceived at the time of shooting. What is recorded when the shutter button is pressed is not exactly what is seen anyway, because certain settings come into play either by the camera operator or the camera manufacturer via predetermined settings. Digital slr cameras give us almost complete control over our photography, with a horde of settings for most situations, some of which are applied automatically if we have chosen to do that. Unfortunately their sophistication and sensitivity do not yet match that of our eyes and what we finish up with in awkward lighting/contrast situations is usually an unsatisfactory image that needs a bit of tweaking. Hopefully, future camera sensors will take all the variables into account and output imagery closer to what we see as the reality. Until then software can assist us to reproduce to some extent, the full dynamic range of tones and shades apparent. The results are not always 'lifelike' in appearance, but with editing skill, one can get closer to the reality. I have had a modicum of success using from 5 to 9 different exposures taken from one image, generated and tone mapped in Photomatix Pro and then blended in Photoshop with the original image. The right hand image is an example of this method while the left one is not blended.