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Author Topic: Follow the Light  (Read 1797 times)

John R

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Follow the Light
« on: September 13, 2010, 09:55:55 pm »

Three images I took recently at Hilton Falls conservation area. The first provoked the title. All shots are in-camera techniques. Lots of experimentation and failures.

JMR
« Last Edit: September 14, 2010, 08:30:28 pm by John R »
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AndrewKulin

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2010, 07:30:18 am »

John:

I prefer the first photo by far - the colours, the inferred movement towards the lighted spot at the end of the path, the symmetry.

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Justan

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2010, 09:41:32 am »

John,

Beautiful work! i like all but #3. #3 isn’t bad, but it is too much like your other works.

If you ever teach a class or write articles on how you obtain some of these results, I’d pay good money to learn.

jule

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2010, 06:02:48 pm »

John, I actually don't think these images are an advancement on your postings a little while ago. (Sorry can't remember which ones...but I think they were more impressionistic - not sure, but I just remember a few months ago thinking the John is really developing well in this area.)

I too have experimented years ago with longer shutter speeds and zooming and camera movement; and I think the secret to making your mark in this area  in particular is developing your personal style so that when others learn the technique, your work still retains its presence as JR's images. That's the hard bit...making your images so clearly identifiable as 'yours' regardless of the technique used. There is a huge amount of this type of photography on the net...and to be honest, the camera movement and tree thing is a bit gimmiky unless the resultant image is really something special. I would ask myself if I could teach everyone else how I go about making these images, and they too could use the technique I am doing; how would my images speak louder and be clearly identifiable as being mine.

It is easy to be seduced into thinking that experimenting with different techniques will develop your personal style. Playing and experimenting is absolutely imperative and fun.... but how will your images stand apart when more people also experiment with their cameras the way that you have? You do not have a monopoly on technique, and there will be others who won't be as skilled at this experimentation, and there will be others who will be more so.

If i may be so bold as to offer an opinion, I would suggest to keep experimenting for fun, but also be mindful of really exploring more in particular just a couple of techniques which produce results which you really love the result of, and work more deeply toward letting your images reveal more of your personality and effect an emotional response in others, so that they can stand on their own regardless of the technique used.

Julie

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larryg

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2010, 02:19:06 pm »

I like  1, 2 & 3    # 1 being my favorite.   Did you do this (#1)  using a long exposure and a zoom lens (zooming in/out during exposure?).


Definately an eye catcher.

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John R

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2010, 04:26:20 am »

I like  1, 2 & 3    # 1 being my favorite.   Did you do this (#1)  using a long exposure and a zoom lens (zooming in/out during exposure?).


Definately an eye catcher.


The first two are double exposures, in-camera. You need a tripod foir this kind of photography and a multiple feature on your camera.

1) The first image is taken out of focus and the second is taken over the first, zoomed at about 1/2 second.
2) second iimage s taken, one in focus, the second over the first and slightly out of focus with shallow depth of field. This is known as the Orton technique. A variation, is to simply take the same two photos separately at half the exposure value and combine and overlap later in photoshop.
3) the third is simply a vertical pan at about 1/8 of second. Many consider this "overdone." I say, if the subject moves you, take it as it suits you, straight, motion, zoom, pan, whatever.

One final piece of advice, no amount of special techniques or experimentation can take the place of solid compositions that have interesting subject matter and that expresses something.

JMR
« Last Edit: September 21, 2010, 04:35:41 am by John R »
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John R

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2010, 04:31:32 am »

John, I actually don't think these images are an advancement on your postings a little while ago. (Sorry can't remember which ones...but I think they were more impressionistic - not sure, but I just remember a few months ago thinking the John is really developing well in this area.)

I too have experimented years ago with longer shutter speeds and zooming and camera movement; and I think the secret to making your mark in this area  in particular is developing your personal style so that when others learn the technique, your work still retains its presence as JR's images. That's the hard bit...making your images so clearly identifiable as 'yours' regardless of the technique used. There is a huge amount of this type of photography on the net...and to be honest, the camera movement and tree thing is a bit gimmiky unless the resultant image is really something special. I would ask myself if I could teach everyone else how I go about making these images, and they too could use the technique I am doing; how would my images speak louder and be clearly identifiable as being mine.

It is easy to be seduced into thinking that experimenting with different techniques will develop your personal style. Playing and experimenting is absolutely imperative and fun.... but how will your images stand apart when more people also experiment with their cameras the way that you have? You do not have a monopoly on technique, and there will be others who won't be as skilled at this experimentation, and there will be others who will be more so.

If i may be so bold as to offer an opinion, I would suggest to keep experimenting for fun, but also be mindful of really exploring more in particular just a couple of techniques which produce results which you really love the result of, and work more deeply toward letting your images reveal more of your personality and effect an emotional response in others, so that they can stand on their own regardless of the technique used.

Julie


Well, thanks for your input. If others learn and produce works as good or better, more power to them. I am an amateur that is passionate about expressing myself through photography and I too learned from others. But your points are well taken.

JMR
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Riaan van Wyk

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2010, 11:16:04 am »

Number three works best for me John. I love the composition colours.

John R

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Re: Follow the Light
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2010, 07:33:11 pm »

John,

Beautiful work! i like all but #3. #3 isn’t bad, but it is too much like your other works.

If you ever teach a class or write articles on how you obtain some of these results, I’d pay good money to learn.

Thanks for the feedback, Justan. You are of course right in saying that some works bear a resemblance to others, but all the same, I think they are different. I don't expect everyone to like every image I post. I notice that when anyone posts more than one image at a time, there is a tendency to rate them. But like anything that moves us, landscapes, sunsets, lighthouses, people, city scenes, how can anyone pass up one more shot if it moves them?

JMR
« Last Edit: September 21, 2010, 09:05:59 pm by John R »
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