A photographic pep talk...

Hipstamatic 
Lucfier VI Lens
Rock BW-11

I need to be realistic and really face the facts about life.

I created this blog to reflect on my journey as a growing photographer but throughout my whole life I have always been a perfectionist. You get different types, some that are never perfect with the final result and some who want something to be perfect straight away and set extremely high standards on oneself that they are disappointed when things don't turn out the way they want or if they don't turn out 'perfect' quick enough. Maybe that is just called impatience. I strive so hard for my work and I know in a ideal world that I wouldn't have too because it would just be so easy. I sometimes wish life was like that though.

Now in Semester 2 at University, the experimenting and developing skills has really set foot and I am struggling with this. I hate seeing myself fail and if I do, it is not failure to a person, I feel a failure to myself and probably punish myself too much for it. Todays event has happened to me once before when I processed my film and it came out clear, which meant that I took no exposures at all. Do you have any idea how heartbreaking that is when it is for a project and you have friends involved who are looking forward to seeing what you have taken? Then you have to start from square one and that feels like a waste of time. Most days I am an optimist and I never say that things are waste of time and it is all about learning and I guess I am being ironic.

I have been very busy at University this week with the first session in the studio and working in groups to build up a set and work with the lights. I found this extremely overwhelming and wondering how on earth I will achieve this and also the confidence of learning how to direct people. For someone who likes to be in the drivers seat and in control, I find communicating someone to pose in a certain way difficult. I just need to remember that I am only in my first year at University and I am still being introduced to techniques and that they probably will seem hard and scary to begin with. As an adult now, I am brushing aside my idealist thoughts and I think rather than struggling with techniques, I am struggling with the fact that reality is not all airy fairy like it has been in my head for nineteen years. I am growing up and I am in the real world. It's time I truly understand this if I want to achieve and be prepared for any set backs and blocks that get in my way. It's time I pick myself up and get on with my life. Most importantly; my photography.

Matty ALN, Londons Natural History and Photography...

Natural History Museum, London
Hipstamatic
Matty ALN Lens
Alfred Infared Film

Natural History Museum, London
Hipstamatic

Natural History Museum, London
Hipstamatic

Natural History Museum, London
Hipstamatic 

Natural History Museum, London
Hipstamatic 

South Kensington - London Undergound
Hipstamatic

I had an exciting adventurous day out yesterday in London. 

At the start of the day I was wondering what photography exhibition was doing at the Natural History Museum as there was really no clue in the name. I picked a silly day to visit this prestigious place as it was Half Term; there was children everywhere and as much as I love them to bits; the que to get in was an hour. It wasn't too bad, I suppose, as I remember visiting the NHM in my school holidays which is scary to think that was ten years ago.

Yesterday I visited the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 exhibit to get inspired for a review I have to write for one of my modules at University. Many people said this one was popular and I wanted to stray away from it so I wouldn't be writing about what everyone else is claiming to write about too. Though I am not planning to write my review now, I can't help but share a few opinions that I could use as a draft perhaps. It was really fantastic. Photographers of all ages, even ones under the age of 10 were photographing at such professional standard it could only make your jaw drop. Though I am not interested in wildlife photography as such, there was such finite detail in all the images that everyone could enjoy and not just those who are interested in the Photography field. 

If you are in the area, I guarantee you take a look while you can. See if for yourself:

 Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012

Today I explore with coloured film on my 35mm camera for the first time and truly getting to grips with the Aperture and Shutter speed relationship. 

Wish me luck.

It's not just about seeing....

I had an exceedingly interesting, nerdy photography lecture today at Uni.
We began a module called Experimental Image which includes different approaches to creating photographs and I am so excited about it.

Firstly we will be looking at Blind Photography. And those with version make jump at this and think.."Wait, how can you take a photo when you are visually impared". Well the answer to that question is that  the Blind have very effective senses other than sight. They feel the environment rather than see it. If you can grab a copy then I suggest, you should watch Proof, a 1991 Australian film on a blind photographer.
It just really made me think how people can see, that their sight for granted. We can open our windows and see what the would is like outside, the colours, the features of peoples faces; a smile, or even the words and that I am typing right now. Life must be very very different.

So the first part of my project, will include for each student to be placed in pairs and take fifty odd pictures and see how they turn out. It may sound wacky to some of you but I can really see how much trust you have to put in yourself and how much control you need on your camera to get a decent photo. With this brief, we can't delete photos so I think it will be really interesting what I manage to capture and I shall be creating a post in the next to weeks of my progress.

Winter Wonderland - Hipstamatic Americana

Hipstamatic 
(Limited Edition - 16th Feb)
Americana Lens
Old Glory case

I am really loving the limited edition, Americana lens and the Old Glory camera case at the moment. I missed out last year with the DreamCanvas film that I have found beautiful images of on Flickr. So finally I have got something new to be excited about. 

Since I have been inside a lot this week, I really wanted to get outside and soak up the fresh country air and snap away some Winter Wonderland images with my new lens and case. 

Flowers of our life...

Hipstamatic 
Bettie XL Lens
Big Up Film

Sometimes you have to explore and discover different ways of approaching life until you find a way that is suitable for you. For the second month of my 365 day photo challenge I discussed how I was going to randomise the settings on my Hipstatmatic camera to add a bit of spontaneity and exploration into my use of this app, rather than sticking to the safe John S Lens with Ina's 1969 film. It can be hard a times, deciding what to capture but also trying to apply skills that I have learned at University so far. I feel as though I'm still cheating and working on the amateur level. In all honesty, I still am an amateur. Once I know all the technical elements by heart and begin profiting work then I will know where I will stand. I think Photography is like  discovery; a discovery of people and objects, places and I find that extremely interesting. 

Though I used the random settings on my app for the picture above; this wasn't out of luck for a first attempt. With Photography, you generally see the final versions of images, rather than how the photographer got there in the first place. I thought I may as well show you the attempts I took to get a decent and flattering image. It just shows that sometimes different effects work for different settings. Many of these effects I have used before but what I was communicating at the beginning was that different elements and combinations fit different people and I think thats what makes the world an interesting place. We all live life in our and best combination, when we can find it, it doesn't mean to say that we can't experiment with life and do what we please. 

Hipstamatic 
Helga Viking Lens
Big Up Film

Hipstamatic 
Libatique 73 Lens
Ina's 1969

Hipstamatic 
Lucas AB2 Lens
Ina's 1969 Film

Hipstamatic 
Buckhorst H1 Lens
Cano Cafenol Film

Hipstamatic 
Loftus Lens
Rock BW Film

Hipstamatic 
Libatique 73 Lens
Float Film

Depth of Field - The REAL thing/ How I see it...

Nature a violet hue on Flickr
Depth of Field (Auto)
2010

I didn't just name my blog In my depth of field for nothing. Even though I wasn't really sure how to work with the term itself, I knew it had some relevance to photography and for life. Photography has become my field, it is the field that I chose and throughout my progress, I'll always be in some kind of it's depth.

University is my motivator, my teacher. I could have taught myself alone but then I would have missed out on the interesting projects and exclusive tips on how to make the best of yourself and your camera. One of the things I have always wanted to master is Depth of Field. Only now have I really understood what is shallow and what is wide and have a vague idea of the Aperture and Shutter speed that should be relevant. For me, Depth of Field changes a photograph immensely and gives it a professional touch and extra dimension. You can get this effect working on compact digital cameras but only so much. Upgrading to the SLR gives that opportunity to focus on the finite detail and though it can work perfectly fine on Auto mode, working with Manual gives you the upmost control of your camera.

Depth of Field (Manual)
1/100 sec
f/5

Depth of Field (Manual)
1/100
f/5/6

When practicing Depth of Field, it is best to practice on some Still Life and Nature as they work really well and you get super close to your subject. This is also a good way of building up confidence and taking your time learning the best techniques before going for a portrait shoot and blurring out the eyes instead of the shoulders. Depth of Field is all about the focal length and the Aperture, not so much the Shutter speed (though it is still important).

I have done a few practices over the last few years and each time, I do see an improvement. This time I worked with some mini chocolate liquor bottles that I featured in my 365 day project at the end of January. Swapping my iPod for my Canon, I really wanted to make sure I had a good exposure first so it would only have to be tweaked in editing or not at all. I then had a few goes, moving the bottles around and moving my camera close and then a little further till I got a desired look which was a shallow depth of field. This means the a sharp foreground and a gradual or complete blur to the background. I played with the composition a little and technicalities of the camera, resulting in using 1/00 sec shutter speed and aperture ranging from f/5 and f/5.6.

Once you have completed your shoot, remember to always come back to it a few weeks or months down the line to see how much you have improved in that time by applying skills. Remember not to give up.

Want to visit my Flickr photostream with the featured photos in my blog and more then click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brown_eyed_dreamer/