Evaluation - Ruraltopia (4)

"If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough" ....    Robert Capa

EVALUATION 

My aim was to visually interpret 'Ruraltopia' through a range of photographs (see previous posts for Ruraltopia - (1), (2) and (3).  

My chosen subjects were:

• crofters working in their own crofting environment portrayed in the documentary genre
• indigenous people - crofters portrayed in the portraiture genre

The following are my six final selected images, with self-evaluations, including strengths and areas for improvement:-
(click on online images to view larger - hard copies of these images are available in assignment folder)

Documentary images are all in monochrome emulating the style of Gus Wylie (Ref. Ruraltopia 1)

1. Crofter in Kitchen 24 mm	1/3	f/18	ISO 100
Comments	Captured the moment in a natural setting as crofter was actively engaged in paperwork when I arrived while natural props were available on the kitchen table (cattle medication as well as lunch remnants). True Wylie style.  Cropped the image in PS Elements to remove bright light reflections on wall coming through kitchen window.
Strengths	Used wide end of 24-120 mm lens to capture sharp detail and get a large depth of field. Nice tones from light and shadows in the kitchen.
Area (s) for Improvement	Consider asking subject to move his position at the table (limited space for tripod in kitchen) in order to cope with challenge of bright light from window.  Faster shutter speed would have coped with dog movement (removed in close crop – see contact sheet)

2. Crofter at Sheep Fank 24 mm	1/80	f/13	ISO 6400
Comments	Good detail in shot, especially of the sheep’s eye and showing man interacting with animal  (as in Gus Wylie images)
Strengths	Successfully coped with very poor light conditions (late winter afternoon) and used high ISO on full frame camera as well as fill in flash to capture image.  Got in close with camera for detailed action capture.
Area (s) for Improvement	Consider relationship of flash and ISO to address poor lighting Explore use of faster shutter speeds in documentary photography

3. Crofter and Creel 24 mm	1/10	f/14	ISO 6400
Comments	Interior of croft house because of very inclement weather so man mending creel indoors; image editing done in PSE to sharpen image.
Strengths	Successfully used a high ISO to capture the shot as well as using the natural light available from the window.
Area (s) for Improvement	A faster shutter speed shutter would have again resulted in a sharper image especially to cope with the slight hand movement of the crofter when working on the mending his fishing creel.

 Portraiture images have all been converted to monochrome in post production to reflect the style of Yousuf Karsh. (Ref. Ruraltopia 1)

1. Crofter with pipe 110 mm	1/80	f/4.5	ISO 6400
Comments	A very relaxed subject so photo shoot was an engaging experience.  Used PSE to clone some of background as subject’s chair was only partly covered by a jacket.  The resulting photograph has pleasing detail.
Strengths	Nice sharp detailed portrait which catches the essence of the character.  Used high ISO to complement natural light from window. Shallow DOF and subject stands out from background.
Area (s) for Improvement	Consider setting up the scene beforehand, eg perhaps have a completely dark background or use cover to give the desired effect. Consider use of lighting in portraiture (which we are about to study in class).

2. Crofter with cap at Knock Farm 112mm	1/1600	f/4.8	ISO 6400
Comments	Subject is a very shy individual so challenge in getting to focus on his eyes.  Used post processing in Photoshop Elements to try out a low key image and also added extra dof to image but discarded both manipulations as the original image is more effective. (see contact sheet).
Strengths	Working outdoors allows natural light to give a pleasing background and shallow dof.  Creative shot in that emotion is captured (his shy, slow smile) which defines his personality.
Area (s) for Improvement	Think about composition and framing - try to position subject's eyes using the rule of thirds to give a more balanced composition.

3. Crofter at Sheep Fank 102 mm	1/800	f/4.5	ISO 6400
Comments	This portrait shot was a quick opportunity at the Sheep Fank before the sheep dosing documentary shots were captured and the subject had just returned from gathering sheep on the moor.  The high ISO gives some grain to the portrait which is very effective.
Strengths	The telephoto lens is good for blurring background and drawing subject into focus.  Natural outdoor light and use of wide aperture make a good image.
Area (s) for Improvement	Consider if retaking the shot to include more of the hand resting on the sheep fank gate.  Learn how to use a reflector outdoors for portraiture. This would bounce the light back on to the subject's face.  I enjoyed the portraiture experience but I am very much an amateur so I still have a lot to learn about taking portraits.

SUMMARY

This assignment was very much a learning process, in that being self-critical makes me want to go and reshoot these images using the knowledge and understanding I have gained from my first experience, both with documentary photography and with formal portraiture.  My technical challenges encountered were generally problems with lighting - wet November weather in the Isle of Skye is not usually conducive to photography and exposure must be mastered to overcome the obstacles encountered.  I would now approach the technical decisions re shutter speed differently and would also be more mindful in considering the shot beforehand - in other words, I would not rush into taking the photograph and  maximise the allocated time slot by being more in control.  

In my personal development plan in my Photography Journal, I cite becoming familiar with the D600 FX camera settings as an objective - the practical work in this assignment has made me consider camera controls and exposure in greater depth.

Post production manipulation has meant that I have experimented with image editing and tried out some techniques in Photoshop Elements which has helped to progress my skills.

Did I meet my aims and reflect the theme of "Ruraltopia"?  I will say yes because my images, though not technically nor compositionally perfect, portray crofting and crofters in Skye - a true snapshot as it is now in 2015.  This is what both Gus Wylie on his Hebridean quest portrayed and of course Yousuf Karsh's portraiture is iconic.  It is rewarding to reflect and recognise that I was making the pictures, and not just taking them.

Mostly I discovered something about myself; while working completely out of my photographic comfort zone (my preference would be to photograph landscape which was not an option for this assignment)  I found that there is something extremely appealing about photographing people.  Perhaps it was the social interaction between the photographer and the subject, the capturing of the character; the capture of the emotion and of the personality, documenting that moment in time that made it very satisfying.    Indeed, I find the prospect of further exploring the genres of portraiture and documentary very appealing!

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter" ....    Alfred Eisenstaedt