Conwy via Llanddulas
(for Assignment 206-2)
So that’s it... today I received my final prints for theme II - Landscapes. It come more or less satisfied quality and I can put them on screen now.
If I have to be honest that was not what I meant to do as my final for Landscape theme.... my intention was capture sunrises, but as I researched more and more I quite understand that to get decant sunrise I have to live on a field or a hill, buy more better equipment and most of all it will take me ages as you all know sunrise in England is hard to catch as there is mainly cloudy then sunny weather conditions....
So when I decided to put sunrises a side...I start to look for new options and exactly that time I went for small day trip to Wales with kids...I didn't bring my tripod as I thought I won’t be able to capture something with my kids racing around. So we all went to small town Conwy, what I wanted to see for a long time. As history lover I admire old places and I was really keen to see Conwy castle,... and also on our way back we stopped near seaside in Llanddulas.
Whether was nice and sunny, probably too sunny and I thought I won’t be getting any nice picture in this light and I was right...I went home and I didn't like any of them, except for a few... All my images was dull... too bright and absolutely with no any feel as a good photograph.... as I remembered a couple students in my group was doing black and white photography and I decade to try convert them in black and white... when I talk to my tutor he was quite happy to accept my Wales trip black and whites.... so I began to improve them, which is a bit shame as its not make me a good photographer, anyway.... they there are.....I am pleased with result - even if it wasn't what I meant, but I have many years ahead, so this will do for now and I`ll improve my skills for future so I could do without computer post-processing.
Setup | All photographs were taken in Wales - in town known as Conwy and by the small village Llandulas seaside. |
Lighting | It was midday when I get there, so not the best part of the day - bright sun all over the place. |
Lens | Nikon 18-55 mm VR lens. (purchased together with camera) |
Camera Settings | Manual Mode – Image quality - JPEG-Fine. |
Accessories | Cokin Gradual Grey G2 Light (ND2) filter |
Image Nr 1
/remembrance/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
Aperture: F 7.1
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 38mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
It is part of a boat and originally was vertical (portrait) position,...I took a picture of it when I walked down to Conwy bay- there was boats everywhere and I was looking for some nice lines and patterns when I saw that....
When I get home I turn it to black and white (already in my camera - as it has option like this), add some contrast and sharpness on a compurer with HP MediaSmart Photo... and it looked good to me, but there was one problem, it was portrait layout and if I wanted to include this image in my final part I had to change it for landscape to suit my other images.
Fallowing advise from my tutor I crop it using Photo Shop.
I quite pleased with the image itself, only thing that worries me, that I probably made it darker that should be, as I added some more contrast. Well what’s done done…that time I was satisfied, now not so much…you decide…
Image Nr 2
/two/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
Aperture: F 8
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 55mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: PatternQuality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Same story and same location- Conwy bay…these two was so adorable that I couldn’t resist not to take a picture….originally was in colour, same as Nr 1 added contrast and a bit sharpness, what makes same problem, it`s looks dark, well it didn’t, when I post-processing, probably my experience growing in days.
Image Nr 3
/nets/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
Aperture: F 7.1
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 50mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Conwy bay...bunch of fishing nets - excellent pattern. Same as my Nr 1 boat originally shoot in vertical position and then cropped in photo shop to suit my needs.
Also I added sharpness and contrast, with help from HP Media Smart Photo and created soft focus around the edges, placing main in the middle...that way I liked image more and I things it`s works very well...
...whitaut soft focus it looked a bit pale and boring...but thats only my opinion...
Image Nr 4
/seagulls/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
Aperture: F 9
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 40mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Just by a chance this photograph get to the final...it was least on a list, but my tutor insisted to put it between my final 10...originally colour, turned to black and white it just doesn’t work for me and I didn’t like it...I tried different ways to improved but all was the same...nothing much you can change there is it???
So I come up with idea to darken the edges with same HP Media Smart Photo software effect tools- choose vignette option and result was more than better…it gives something else to that image than just plain reflections of plain sky…
Image Nr 5
/albion/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
Aperture: F 8
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 40mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Probably one of my favorites, and not just from Black White’s, but I quite liked in colour as well… as I was about to leave Conwy I past this boat and was touched by the colours, lines, shapes - ideal subject for good image….
On a computer I add a bit more contrast and sharpness, silly of me, I don’t think now that was necessary, but well as I already printed it’s too late for regrets….
Like you see isn’t so bad at all, and which one I like more is hard to say, even if they are the same, these images are very different…
Image Nr 6
/stonebeach/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: F 9
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 55mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Not the best of mine, as I can say…in colour look even more boring, but transforming to black and white create nice grey tone passage, which I pleased about, as it gives to some temper to image itself.
That was one of the first scenes which I captured, when we all get down from our car in outskirts of a small village Llanddulas, (hard to even pronounce that). Sun was shining upon us and I already, that time, given up to get anything decant from this trip, so I just shoot everything, not even much think about it. But like I said….as a black and white is somehow worked for me – what I find rally surprising….
Image Nr 7
/loneliness/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: F 11
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 20mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Same old problem, I think I over use a contrast and not only on black on white – on my colour image as well. At the beginning it was without any contrast, a bit overexposed and if you count that awful light than nothing good was even possible. Can you imagine same scene in the sunset, probably will be stunning, but well….maybe I am so self-critical, but I could done something a bit different.
There is my both images and you can compare them…first – originally less of colour, pale, without any contrast at all….bellow after my corrections, which I overdone….after when I change it to black and white is made it a bit too dark…Sometimes is too hard to realize in the work progress, but more often I see my final ten – more critical I get. With flowers I dint have problems like this, I knew what I was doing and I didn’t need any corrections as well….when I went to Wales I didn’t know that I`ll be coming back home with my themed photographs, but that’s life- more you live more you learn….Image Nr 8
/abstraction/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: F 11
ISO: 200
Lens Length: 55mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
Same story, but a bit better composition, - which I pleased about. Why my ISO is 200 is hard to tell, what was on my mind beck then I don’t remember.
I added contrast and sharpness after change to black and white.
Black and white photography from one point of view seems easy, especially in digital, but making these images I realize, I have so much to learn more.
Black and White itself should consist form black and white colours, bur now looking closer my images it seems to me more Black and Grey. Printed out it looks better but on screen I am not very keen about results.
Image Nr 9
/irresistible/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: F 9
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 55mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
I`ll be honest this irresistible image looked better in colour – seriously, but then it won’t be suitable along with others. No matter now, that it has same problems with contrast this photograph is very dear to me – tiny, week flowers making thru the stones…
Originally was a bit pale, I added contrasts, same to Image Nr 7, and then changed to black and white .
Image Nr. 10
/the perfect/
Camera Mode: Manual
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: F 11
ISO: 100
Lens Length: 40mm
White Balance: Auto
Meter Setting: Pattern
Quality setting: JPG
Light: Daylight only
My favorite – the perfect. I didn't done anything to that photograph – it was already captured in Monochrome setting, never been in colour, never been post processed and that’s way I liked the best.
If you looked the image is nothing special appears, but all lines and small holiday home structure makes perfect composition.
_____________________________________
So that's about it....all images was printed (order took a place with DS Color Labs) and mounted. I already had mounts ready size 8x10- leftovers from Level 1, which I didn't get a chance to use then. Prints was satisfied quality and am really pleased. I took a picture to let you know what exactly I am talking about.
I choose that kind presentation method as I thought it`s very suitable for black and whites...even more probably will be real frames, but considering that is not for some kind of exhibition but only for a assignment it works well.
Now only whats left - to finish off my blog and start waiting for results...hope good ones....:))
I remember, sitting by the sea that time, I was fed up from colour images from my camera, which I didn't like at all, so I decide to go through some options on camera display, what lead me to Monochrome setting…. glad did choose to experiment- it lead me to even one good image.
_____________________________________
So that's about it....all images was printed (order took a place with DS Color Labs) and mounted. I already had mounts ready size 8x10- leftovers from Level 1, which I didn't get a chance to use then. Prints was satisfied quality and am really pleased. I took a picture to let you know what exactly I am talking about.
I choose that kind presentation method as I thought it`s very suitable for black and whites...even more probably will be real frames, but considering that is not for some kind of exhibition but only for a assignment it works well.
Now only whats left - to finish off my blog and start waiting for results...hope good ones....:))
