Assignment 1: Response to Tutor's Comments

I submitted my first assignment with some trepidation.  I always find it  difficult to get a measure of the standard of my work until those first assignment comments come in.  I have to say I was delighted with the how my tutor found these first images.  The feedback was very thorough and constructive with useful comments on how the images might be improved.  I have been through the comments and reworked the images accordingly.  The results are included below.

The first image that could be improved was the first one of a sunrise behind the lake.  It was felt that I included too much foreground and could have tilted the camera a little to include less of that and more sky.  Obviously I am unable to do that but I have cropped to a more panoramic format and cut out some of the foreground reeds.  When I looked back at my original images I had taken one in vertical format and have included that here.  It does include less reeds and more sky.  Perhaps this would have been a better image to include in the first instance.

The second image that could be improved was of the mist in the Ancholme River Valley.  My tutor felt that it was rather too blue so I have warmed it up a little as seen below.

This image of the snowdrift was also felt to be too blue so I have adjusted this slightly and also cropped a little to the right and top as suggested.  I decided to keep in some of the grasses to the extreme right.

Again in this image of the ice covered lake below I have cropped to include less of the foreground reeds which it was felt overpowered the picture.  I like the circle of snow half way up to the right and so have cropped to still include this.

 It was felt that the two images below were too blue so I have again adjusted the white balance to alter this slightly.

 In the originals of the two images below it was felt that I had made the sky too dark.  In retrospect I was guilty of over filtration.  In both images I combined an ND grad with a polarizer.  I have been able to lighten the sky in Lightroom by using the inbuilt grad.

Another comment made was that I could perhaps be more self-critical, something I will work on.  I suppose I find this difficult, as by the time I submit image,s I have done the self analysis and settled on images that I am pleased with.  Can I submit images that I am criticising or should I not be submitting them at all?  This comment has been made to me before by another tutor so I must work harder to adopt a more self critical approach.

Assignment 1: the season. The final selection.

I can't believe that when I was taking photographs for my first assignment we were in the depths of winter and, although it has been a dry and mild one, in February we had deep snow, freezing temperatures and fog. Even three weeks ago the countryside was very wintry, but over the last three weeks spring has arrived and I have begun capturing and filing images of this new season for my portfolio. As mentioned in my last blog I opted to use my local area of the North Lincolnshire Wolds and coast for this assignment and also for the portfolio as I was very familiar with the area and the quick and easy access meant that I could reach any location within half an hour.

In my last blog I listed and discussed the images that I had in my short list. I have now made my final selection from that list and they are included below. Although they have been taken over a period of a couple of months during January and February, I have arranged them as if they had been taken during the course of one winter's day from sunrise to sunset.

I took this first image at Messingham Sand Quarry, a local wildlife trust nature reserve that I visit regularly in the summer for butterfly and, especially, dragonfly photography. I know the reserve well and thought that it would provide images that typify winter with the abundance of reeds which at this time of year are brown and dead looking. Unfortunately on this morning it was not cold enough for ice. I chose this shot because I love the colours in the winter sky as the sun is rising and am pleased with the reflection of the sky in the lake. I saw my first ever otter playing in the lake shortly after taking the shot. I think that the tall reeds in the left foreground complement the higher tree line to the right on the horizon.This is also a sunrise image taken at nearby Worlaby. I had taken photographs from this spot before and knew that it had potential for mist in the valley, a spot I visit regularly to photograph the short eared owls that gather there during the winter. I had been keeping my eye on the weather forecast and selected a morning when clear skies and mist were predicted. I framed the shot so that the church occupied the intersection of thirds and I placed the horizon a third of the way down. I made the sky area smaller than the land as the interest is in the church and the misty valley.
Early in the morning after one of the February snow falls I went out into the Lincolnshire Wolds a short distance from home to take snow pictures for project 25 and also hoping to secure winter images for this assignment. I selected this shot as I felt that it had a cold wintry feel to it especially as there is a grey rather than a clear blue sky. I framed the shot so that the hedge began in the bottom right and then snaked in a pleasing s-shape, hopefully leading the eye into the shot to the wood and distant hill on the horizon. The hedge also provides good perspective.

I chose this shot as the strong side lighting gave texture to the snow, emphasising it's banked nature. I also liked the dark brooding sky.

One morning whilst we had snow, we also woke to thick fog. Thinking that this would provide more and different winter pictures, I visited a local wooded parkland area. I had photographed this scene a few weeks before but, although in the middle of winter, the bright late afternoon light and leaves still clinging to the beech trees didn't provide a wintry enough atmosphere. This morning was different, however, snow and fog providing the missing ingredients. I chose this particular avenue of trees as I felt that, as they disappeared down the hill, they provided perspective despite the fog. I think the fact the we cannot see the far distance because of the fog lends a sense of mystery to the shot.

All of the above shots are morning images but now we move onto mid afternoon. This picture is taken at another local nature reserve close to the Humber Bridge, a location I also know well from my nature photography. I chose this shot as it conveys a feel of winter: bright, cold winter sky; dead, winter reeds and ice and snow covered water. I like the way the s-shaped curving pattern of snow on the left of the ice and the curve of the reeds leads the eye to the pond dipping platform on the opposite side of the pond. Bare trees emphasise the wintry feel.
A mid afternoon shot of pilings from the old cement works jetty on the Humber Bank with the bridge in the distance. Again a cold clear sky and snow on the pilings tell us that it is winter. I like the fact that I have been able to include the moon in the shot. I carefully framed the image so that I didn't obscure the bridge pillar to the right.
Another image of the Humber Bridge with a wintery feel. I took the picture because the lines in the snow reflect the direction of the bridge and the post, which I have placed on a third, mirrors the bridge pillars. Perspective is provided by the bridge.

A late winter afternoon shot here, again with snow, so obviously winter. I framed the image so that the hedge leads the eye to the wood which occupies the top right of the picture and also provides linear perspective. I placed the solitary tree to the left on an intersection of thirds.Another late afternoon shot, this time taken on the coastal marsh. The dead reeds and dry, dead grasses tell us this is winter. I have included this picture because, to me, it typifies the Lincolnshire coastal marsh: big skies, flat countryside and long straight drains. I am particularly pleased with the sky and like the way the drain provides perspective. I am also pleased with the reflection of the sky in the still water.A shot taken just before sunset late on a January afternoon. It had been rather a dull afternoon and uninteresting in the way of light but, as often happens towards sunset the sky began to clear and the sun put in a late appearance. This is one of my favourite views of a local valley, Irby Dales, just outside Grimsby. The bare trees give a wintry feel and I like the way that they snake towards the wood on the opposite hill side.
Finally a typical Lincolnshire sunset. To me Lincolnshire means big skies so I have included a lot of sky in this image to emphasise the wonderful clouds. I have placed the horizon low in the picture as the foreground is silhouetted but I have included the silhouettes of the skeletal winter trees.

Assignment 1: the season. First Thoughts.

For this assignment I decided to use my local area, restricting myself to an area that I could reach within half an hour so that I could visit and revisit conveniently at will in order to catch different weather and lighting. I am also conscious that I will need easy access to my chosen location in order to shoot images at different seasons for my portfolio. I have chosen the northern Lincolnshire Wolds and Coastal strip close to my home in Grimsby. I also am a firm believer in the fact that the more familiar we are with a location the better will be the images produced. I would love to emulate Galen Rowell's images in Yosemite and the Californian Sierra but that was his local patch and it took a lifetime for him to gain his deep knowledge of the area.

I include below my short list of images that I have chosen from three months of winter photography and my thoughts about each one. From this short list I shall select my final 12 photographs to represent the season of winter. I have tried to include a variety of lighting, weather and image format.

This is a typical Lincolnshire winter sunset. I deliberately exposed for the sky in order to produce a horizon of winter tree silhouettes. I have place the horizon low to make the most of the dramatic sky.
This image was taken in my local churchyard. I placed the camera on a tripod reduced to it's lowest height in order to be on the same level as the flowers. I used a wide angle lens and a small aperture so that everything would be as sharp as possible. Although I took this shot in February (very definitely winter still) and as much as I like it, I may not include it in this assignment as I feel that it smacks too much of spring. If I do not use it now, it will very definitely be a candidate for my portfolio.
This is an image I had been wanting to take for some time. The church is in the village of Worlaby on the scarp slope of the Wolds and the view is across the valley of the River Ancholme looking across to the limestone Lincoln Edge just north of the steel town of Scunthorpe. I had been waiting for a weather forecast that gave early morning mist in order to get a temperature inversion. It is taken at sunrise, Galen Rowell's magic hour. I place the horizon and the church on thirds.
I took this image at sunrise on a visit to the local nature reserve of Messingham Sand Quarry. This is a place I know well from my wildlife photography and I hoped that the early morning light would provide some pleasing winter images.
Another early morning shot at Messingham. I like the way the sun just catches the far reeds. I think it has a real winter feel to it with the leafless trees and dead reed stems. It will look very different here in a few weeks. The swans add interest but they are rather obscured by the reeds.
Again this will look very different in a few weeks as the new reeds grow through and the flag irises and ragged robin appear. I am pleased with the reflection and like the way the ditch leeds the eye into the frame.
Another winter sunset, this time on the Lincolnshire coast. The drain leads they eye into the shot. It would have been nice if the sun had been slightly to the left. I'm not sure about the flare in this shot.
Very typical scenery on the Lincolnshire coastal marsh. I like the way the drain leads they eye into the shot. I have placed the horizon low in the frame to emphasize the big Lincolnshire sky. Pleasing reflections in the water. I have selected a portrait format here to enhance the straight narrow channel. To my mind a real winter feel to the scene with the bleached dry grass and dead reed stems.
I like the linear perspective here with the trees diminishing in the distance. The hedge and tractor lines lead the eye into the frame. I'm not sure about the heavy shadow in the foreground. A real winter feel to the shot though - again bleached dead grass and leafless winter trees.
I am pleased with the curved line of trees in the valley leading the eye to the winter tree silhouettes on the horizon.
Another image taken at a local reserve that regularly visit for wildlife photography. Dead reed stems, leafless trees and ice and snow on the pond all give a good feel of winter.

The above two shots are of the Humber Bridge with snow on the ground and a cold blue winter sky with a foggy high pressure haze over the horizon. In the first shot I have managed to include the moon out during the late afternoon. In the second I included the post to provide a point of focus in the foreground and to mirror the bridge uprights. The channels in the mud that are picked out by the snow mirror the direction of the road platform on the bridge.
A simple image of snow here with side lighting bring out form in the bank of snow. The hedge line provides linear perspective enhanced by the vertical format.
Another simple snow scene with the hedge line leading the eye into the picture.
Rolling Lincolnshire Wolds scenery with the hedge leading the eye to the winter wood on the horizon. The other three hedge lines lead towards the wood as well and I managed to place the small isolated tree on an intersection of thirds. Pleasing side lighting brings out form and detail with some interesting shadows.
The snow here says winter but so does the cold blue of the sky and the blue shadow of the tree. I carefully framed the church in the arch of the tree branch. I used a similar image for project for project 5: interacting subjects but in this picture I wasn't constrained by focal length and could include more of the tree.
Another rolling Lincolnshire landscape with linear perspective and snow. A real winter feel.
The above and the next three images were taken on a foggy morning while we still had snow. I have already used this shot to illustrate Project 7: figures in a landscape so may not use it for the assignment. Also I am not sure about mixing panoramas with '35mm format' shots. This image, like the one below had a bluish cast which I have corrected but I am not sure which version I prefer.


I am pleased with the linear perspective in both of the above shots. They both are good examples of the use of soft muted colours as in Project 10. The fog lends an air of mystery.
This shot is taken on the edge of a local Wolds beech woodland. I like the shapes of the trees and the shadows they cast but I am not sure that the warm late afternoon light and the fact that there are still autumn leaves clinging to the trees makes it wintry enough.