Final Portfolio, Response to Tutor's comments.

Again, I was delighted to receive my tutor's comments and guidance on my final portfolio.  It was felt that the complete portfolio has some very good images and all were technically successful and the majority artistically so too.  It was felt that Autumn 2 and 3 were the weaker images and could be replaced by one or both of Irby 1 and 2 illustrated below:

Irby 1

Irby 2

Irby 2 I am pleased with these images, and although they fit my theme of 'Intimate Landscapes', they perhaps include more of the distance than I would like.  Consequently I have also printed the close-up intimate landscape of an Autumn oak wood as another possible replacement.

Autumn Oak Wood

Although I have printed three replacement images, but only need two, if pushed I would opt for Irby 1 and Autumn Oaks as the two Irby images and taken from a very similar view point and I feel that Irby 1 more fits my theme.

Of the summer images it was felt that image 3 of old fashioned cornflower weeds was rather confusing and my alternative impressionistic shot would be better suited so I have printed it as a replacement.

My tutor's main concern was that the Spring and Summer images were all of wild flowers and somewhat similar.  I take his point but feel moved to stick with them as they fit in with my theme of 'Intimate Landscapes' in the style of Eliot Porter.  However I have printed off possible replacement images; one for Spring and one for Summer which I still feel fit in with my theme.  I include them below:

Messingham Sand Quarry.  I took this shot in the early Spring of 2012 with this portfolio in mind.

I actually took this image at the beginning of September this year but have decided to include it as a possible replacement as I framed the image to focus on the 'Intimate Landscape' of bales and to exclude the distant landscape and sky.

Assignment 5: in the style of an influential photographer, Ansel Adams; response to tutor's comments.

I was pleased with my tutor's comments to this assignment; it was felt that I had produced a good series of pictures in the style of Ansel Adams.  There were suggestions for making slight  improvements to six of the twelve images and he felt that one didn't work.  I have worked on the images to implement the suggested changes, reprinted them and include them in my final submission for assessment.  On problem I encountered when working on this was printing the images with the same tones as the originals.  I made the fatal error of not recording the advanced black and white settings that I used on my Epson R2880 printer; a mistake I shall not make again!!!  I have tried to be subtle with my changes and perhaps in one or two instances have not altered them much, but I didn't want to produce totally different images.

1. Winter conditions on Derwent Edge.  In my original image there was some white clipping in the foreground ice but it was felt that I had darkened this too much in order to recover the blown highlights.  I have gone back to Lightroom and readjusted this.  I feel that the change is very subtle.  I also lightened the shadows a little to show a little more detail in the gritstone pillar.
2. Winter on Worlaby Carrs.  It was felt that I could apply a low-density ND grad on the foreground and then lighten the whole image slightly to help draw the eye into the picture towards the horizon.  This I have done.
3. Earl Crag, Upper Airedale.  As suggested I have lightened the image slightly and also increased the shadows slider.  I always find that if I increase the shadows slider I need a slight increase in contrast so I have done this as well.
4. Lincolnshire Wolds from Bonby Carrs.  I have lightened the image slightly as suggested.
5. Tetney Marshes.  It was felt that I had not included enough foreground in this image.  As I had cropped the original to make more of the dramatic clouds I went back to the original and reframed it.  I have also lightened it somewhat as well.
6. Barn and Sky, Lincolnshire Wolds.  Again I have lightened the image as suggested.
7. Wall detail, Derbyshire.  As suggested I have cropped the image to make more of the lichens in the wall.  I have also lightened it somewhat.
8. It was suggested that I could use the image Silver Birch as a replacement image.  I have printed this shot as a possible replacement for Tetney Marshes or Wall Detail.

I have learned a great deal through this assignment.  It has been interesting to try to 'see in monochrome' and also to try and get under the skin of another photographer and work in their style.  Not only this but I have gained experience in producing a black and white image in post production and grappled with the added complications of manipulating printer software to achieve the desired result.