DPP Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

OCA – Digital Photographic Practice

Assignment 1: Workflow

The aim of this first assignment was to devise a themed topic in a field of photography

that you felt comfortable with. A sensible workflow needed to be constructed from

beginning to end and the final images displayed either in the form of prints or a web gallery.

My chosen images were selected from planned visits to Cambridge during March and

April 2011 and were taken whilst walking the many streets within this University City.

I chose to display my images in the form of prints and they were all taken using a Nikon

D300 camera and either a Nikon 18-200mm telephoto lens or a Nikon 50mm prime lens.

Initial Workflow

The first stage of this assignment was to plan the initial workflow as below.

Plan assignment topic → Decide on topic location → Select Equipment → Travel to Cambridge

I decided that I wanted to try some street photography and then looked at the possible options

within easy reach of my home. Cambridge, Peterborough and Stamford were the three locations

that I chose, with Cambridge winning the final selection. When making this decision I knew that

I may have to make more than one visit to this location.

The decisions around equipment were based around the need to travel light as I may be walking

around a fair amount. I took my Nikon D300, Nikon 18-200mm lens and my Nikon 50mm prime

lens. No other photographic equipment was taken.

The next stage of the assignment was as below.

Physical photography → Edit in camera

The weather was a mixture of cloud and sunlight, with a small amount of wind speed. The

total amount of photographs taken was over 100 and on more than one visit. Of these

photographs over 30 of these were edited and deleted during the shoot. This left a total

number of approximately 70 images to view and edit from home. The images were taken

with a mixture of apertures and shutter speeds on two different lenses.

The 70 images were downloaded to my PC direct from the camera using a USB connection.

These images were then viewed using Adobe Bridge software and over an intense selection

process 18 images were chosen to edit in Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Download images to PC → View images on Bridge → Select Images to possibly edit on CS5

During the editing process I used Raw software on auto mode and then opened each image

within Adobe CS5. Once opened in Adobe CS5, I looked at the possibility of cropping only

if really needed and then used mainly saturation and black & white options, with a sepia tint

placed on all the selected photographs.

Adobe CS5 → Cropping → Black & White → Minor adjustments if needed

The final images selected are displayed

               

By planning the workflow into various elements at the beginning, it helped to structure

the photographic sequence and resulted in the final photographs that I’m happy with.

The workflow that I used was suitable for what I set out to do.

The most difficult elements were the actual taking of the photographs in Cambridge and

the processing of the photographs, as this is still an area of photography that I need

to develop. It was interesting to actually interact with some of the people I photographed

in Cambridge, in particular the couple out walking holding hands and the man looking at

the window display.

The structure within the workflow is common to most photographers at a certain level

within the art form. Where the differences occur more acutely will be the actual taking

of the photographs and how the photographer can either interact or disappear within the

environment, which in street photography is very important at times depending on your

personal preference or style.

I decided early on to try a common theme on the final processing and wanted to come

away from the usual black and white that I use. Adding the sepia tone has brought the

photographs together and I know it’s completely down to personal taste, but I like them!

Update after Tutor Report

This section provides an update after I have received my tutor report.

The elements of the different stages of a digital workflow included some elements

highlighted by my tutor. The first of these was ‘card dump’.

I did email my new tutor with a full list of my hardware including the two Freecom

external hard drives I own. I use two 4GB and two 8GB compact flash cards and back

these up to my pc’s hard drive and both external drives on my return home. I could

have made this clearer on the workflow diagram with more detail.

The second element was ‘archival file format’. I currently shoot in RAW and

keep these files unless amended in Photoshop and then these are converted to PSD

or JPG files.

The third element of ‘backup’ has been explained above.

I currently have Photoshop CS5, Adobe Bridge and Elements 7. The suggestion to

use Adobe Lightroom as well is a fair point, but finances mean that this option

may have to wait a while..........

I do use Adobe Bridge to sort through and arrange my folders in a planned order.

OCA – Digital Photographic Practice

Assignment 2: Digital Image Qualities

The aim of the second assignment was to produce a set of images with a common

theme, but including at least one of the following lighting conditions:

A high dynamic range scene

A low dynamic range scene

Low light conditions which require a high ISO setting

Mixed lighting conditions

I had some issues deciding on a theme for this assignment, partly due to being

seriously ill around the same time as completing this assignment. The mental focus

needed was not always there, so it has taken me much longer than I wanted to

complete. I was not in a position to use a tripod during the assignment. Hopefully

that is now all behind me and I’m happy with the final outcome.

The theme I have chosen is ‘A Portrait View of Peterborough Cathedral’.

I did not want to select a single theme without having a slightly different slant on its

outcome, which is why I decided to take only portrait style photographs. I decided

to shoot in colour, as I believe Peterborough Cathedral would be easier to shoot in

black and white and the next assignment will be black and white as well.

My chosen images were selected from two planned visits to Peterborough

Cathedral during September 2011 and were taken hand held.

I chose to display my images in the form of prints and they were all taken using a

Nikon D300 camera and either a Nikon 18-200mm telephoto lens or a Nikon

50mm prime lens.

Photograph 1 – Nikon 18-200mm/20mm/ISO 200/f 3.6

This photograph is of the main entrance to Peterborough Cathedral, taken on

a mixed autumn day. The composition was difficult as there were many visitors on the

day and I wanted this scene to be people free. The vibrance and saturation were

increased during post processing.

Photograph 2 – Nikon 18-200mm/18mm/ISO 200/f 3.5

I took this photograph just inside the entrance to Peterborough Cathedral.

The contrast of the ceiling and Jesus on the cross caught my eye. Not having a

tripod and not wanting to increase the ISO, I shot this with an aperture of f3.5 on

this high contrast scene. The reds were increased slightly using the channel mixer;

levels, contrast and brightness were all adjusted in post processing

Photograph 3 – Nikon 18-200mm/35mm/ISO 400/f 4.1

I walked through the isle shown in photograph 2 to take up a good composition
point under the statue of Jesus for this shot. I took a number of shots under this
statue to try and find an interesting angle. During post processing the curves
function and contrast were adjusted

Photograph 4 – Nikon 18-200mm/18mm/ISO 800/f 3.5

Photograph 4 was very difficult and ideally I would have liked to use a tripod.
I increased the ISO to 800 on this shot of one of the many stained glass
windows. There was natural daylight and incandescent lighting within this shot.
This image had the most amount of post processing by far, adjusting the brightness
of the windows, slight colour balance change to the reds and saturation and vibrance
adjustments.

Photograph 5 – Nikon 18-200mm/200mm/ISO 1000/f 5.7

This photograph proved surprisingly difficult due to the additional light on the

clear/white sections of the glass. The ISO was increased as the area where the

photograph was taken was particular dark. This single stained glass window stood

out amongst many within the Cathedral. Post processing changes to vibrance and

saturation.

Photograph 6 – Nikon 50mm/ISO 200/f 1.4

A low contrast scene photograph taken of a statue depicting ‘Our Lady

of Lamentations’ by Polly Verity. No post processing changes other than a

slight warming filter.

Photograph 7 – Nikon 50mm/ISO 200/f 1.4

This photograph was taken walking back to the entrance of the Cathedral.

The rows of seats and the lighting caught my eye. The curves and contrast

were adjusted during post processing to increase the detail.

Looking back on this assignment it’s been a personal journey. At some stages
within this journey I never thought I would finish, but finish I did. It’s very difficult
to get across someone’s personal limitations due to health in a certain period of time,
but it’s ironic that it was a religious Cathedral that inspired me. I’m now back to
good health, so the whole process has been inspiring.

It’s important to me to carry on with this whole process of learning and I do
not want to delay this any further.

I prefer black and white photography and if I’m honest would have taken
the photographs for this assignment in black and white. But, for no other reason
than I really want to challenge myself, it was a decision I’m please I kept to.

I understand topics covered within Project 2 of DPP and I’m looking forward
to carrying on with this module.

Update after Tutor Report

This section provides an update after I have received my tutor report.

The feedback from my tutor was overall very positive and I will as always
aim to learn from the items highlighted.

One item that was listed is the final photograph of the submitted work.

‘Perhaps the image that weakens the set is precisely the very last one, photograph 7.
I can see what you wanted to achieve, how you used a long focal length lens in order to

bring up the patterns in the rows of chairs and columns. But this high-contrast scene
was inherently difficult to deal with. The natural light coming through the windows is far
too strong compared to the dim interior.

Here you hit the limitations of current digital technology. Unless you use digital trickery,
as in HDR techniques, this high-contrast range of this scene is beyond what a digital
sensor can successfully capture.

I’m not an advocate of HDR but I must admit that for certain scenes it can be a very useful

technique. This tutorial shows you how you can create very quick HDR composites in Adobe
Photoshop CS5.

To sum up, you assignment work clearly denotes developing technical and visual skills.
It also demonstrates that you are getting familiar with the idea of a portfolio, as in a set
of images linked by a common theme and a consistent visual style. Well done.’

The actual link to the tutorial did not work, so I read a chapter in my CS5 help guide.
I tried to re-work the photograph by saving the original and another two, one with minus
one exposure and one with plus one exposure.

This is the first time in actually using the HDR option on CS5 and the result is shown
below. I’m not sure there is any improvement in my own mind, but this is something
I will experiment with and return to at a later stage.

OCA – Digital Photographic Practice

Assignment 3: Monochrome

The aim of the third assignment was to choose a theme or subject that was conceived,

shot and processed in black and white. Once this had been chosen, you needed to

attempt to bring out the monochrome qualities of form, tonal contrast and texture.

For this assignment I had no issues in deciding on a theme, as I had planned this for

some time. During a visit to Woburn Safari Park with Wild Arena I had already

decided to plan the day around good subjects for black and white photography

and used this as the photographs for assignment three of DPP.

My chosen images were selected from a planned visit to Woburn Safari Park in

Bedfordshire and were taken hand held from a vehicle. The vehicle was both

moving and stationary at different times of the day.

I chose to display my images in the form of prints and they were all taken using a

Nikon D300 camera and either a Nikon 18-200mm telephoto lens, a Nikon 50mm

prime lens and a Sigma 150mm-500mm telephoto lens.

Photograph 1 – Patas Monkey with Baby (Sigma 150mm-500mm)

This photograph was taken from some distance away at 500mm (750mm DX)

whilst stationary in a vehicle. The baby and mother caught my eye and the detail

within the baby Patas monkey’s face shows both contrast and texture. I added a

blue filter and then reduced the red, yellow and green sliders within the black and

white option on Adobe CS5.

Photograph 2 – Amur Tiger (Sigma 150mm-500mm)

I took this photograph very quickly as the Tiger would not leave the side of the

metal fence. This period of time was the only one where the Tiger was in a position

to compose a shot which looked like it was in the wild. The Tiger markings were

perfect for black and white photography with good tonal contrast. I increased

the yellow slider and decreased all the others by varying amounts. The focal length

was 380mm (570mm DX), ISO 800 and a shutter speed of 1/500 sec.

Photograph 3 – Black & White Ruffed Lemur (Nikon 50mm)

The Lemur also had a good black and white tonal contrast and provided me with

an opportunity to use my 50mm lens close up. The added key element and focus

on the face help the viewer to focus left to right and I added a maximum white

adjustment and then decreased the blue slider.

Photograph 4 – East African Mountain Bongo (Nikon 18-200mm)

This particular photograph was very difficult to compose, as the Bongo was very

good at herding together with other animals. The distinctive facial lines add to the

contrast within the image and I like this pose with its head slightly down, but looking

up into the lens.  

The black and white sliders were adjusted on all the colour options; levels and

contrast layers were also added.

Photograph 5 – Southern White Rhino (Sigma 150mm-500mm)

The texture within the White Rhino’s skin was perfect for black and white

photography. The pose of the Rhino was to my liking and this shot was taken

with a 150mm focal length (225mm DX). A blue filter was added with the black

and white layer and slight alterations to contrast and the curves layer were made.

An ISO of 560 was used as inside the vehicle it was not too bright.

Photograph 6 – Drill Monkey (Sigma 150mm500mm)

This photograph of a Drill Monkey was taken whilst stationary and the focal

length was 380mm (570mm DX). The tonal and contrast features of the face

and texture and the fur were again a good subject for black and white photography.

A mixture of Adobe CS5 and Adobe Lightroom was used on this photograph.

My initial thoughts were of ‘what is this animal thinking about’, as it was playing with

the twig in its left hand.

Photograph 7 – African Lion (Sigma 150mm-500mm)

The last photograph in this assignment is my personal favourite. The tonal features

of the Lion’s face and the concentration it is showing really caught my eye whilst

composing this shot. Again I added a blue filter and reduced the red, yellow and green

sliders. A focal length of 320mm (525mm DX) was used and an ISO of 400.

Having planned this assignment for some time, I knew that the subjects would be very

good for black and white photography. On the day I tried to select the animals that would

provide me with a better range of tonal features, contrast and texture. I had

pre-planned the animals I wanted to concentrate on during my visit by looking at the

Woburn Safari Park website on several occasions before the day. Using my

Sigma 150mm-500mm telephoto lens for the majority of the day was also a learning

process and overall I am happy with the results. I would like to return again next

year, as the day was extremely well put together and enjoyable.  

The day itself provided good picture conditions and was sunny with cloud cover

throughout the day. The vehicle was rather bumpy and at times a steady hand was

needed to provide the clarity within the shots taken.

I really enjoy black and white photography and feel that the chosen subjects for this

assignment were good for this particular genre of photography. This assignment was

thought provoking, enjoyable and it also provided me with lots of learning opportunities.

I understand the topics covered within Project 3 of DPP and I’m looking forward to

carrying on with this module.

Update after Tutor Report

This section provides an update after I have received my tutor report.

The feedback from my tutor was overall very positive and I will as always aim to

learn from the items highlighted.

One item that was listed is the final photograph of the submitted work.

‘Halos’ - White Rhino shows a slight halo effect that could

be the result of adjusting curves and over-sharpening –

see darker band along the edge of the rhino’s back. The

narrow depth of field of the lens may have accentuated it.

This unwanted effect could also be residual layer work, if

the edges of selections haven’t been feathered

appropriately’.

I have re-worked the photograph to try and remove the halo effect and will

learn from the feedback provided.

I have also updated and amended by OCA DPP Blog on the Blogger site. The

layout has been altered, assignment links added, removed some posts that were not

specific and highlighted the learning materials.

OCA – Digital Photographic Practice

Assignment 4: Real or fake

The aim of this fourth assignment was to demonstrate the potential for altering

content and a viewer’s perception of an image. The assignment should lie in the

middle ground of real-versus-fake.

The object was to produce a photographic image to illustrate an imaginary book

or magazine cover. The moral ground for this though was potentially ambiguous.

For this assignment it took me a fair amount of time before I finally decided on

the theme and type of photographic image. I searched through all my own photography

books for ideas and also spent some time looking at book covers for example on

Amazon.

My final decision was to go with a gothic horror style book cover, but to try to make

the person looking at this think twice about the perception of the image. Is that

photograph real-or-fake? I would use one of my own photographs and add

an object to alter the photograph using juxtaposition.

My chosen image was taken in Cambridge and is the side of a building at one of the

many Colleges within this City.

The image was taken using a Nikon D300 camera and a Nikon 18-200mm telephoto

lens.

Photograph 1 – Original Image

This photograph was taken in Cambridge from street level. I wanted to take a

photograph that would leave room for text on a book cover.

I like the angle of the building and the gothic qualities of the stone work, which

would help with the juxtaposition.

Photograph 2 – Gothic Monster

This image I found on the internet and was perfect for the gothic look I was interested

in portraying.  

Photograph 3 – Juxtaposition

The gothic monster was added to the original photograph using Adobe CS5 and some

very basic changes to the original image.

I wanted the gothic monster to be relatively small, as this will make the viewer look in

to the photograph to find out what the subject is. Any larger and there would be no

element of mystery.

Photograph 4 – Final Image

The final image was converted to black and white using the appropriate sliders and

then the text was added in Adobe CS5 using layers.

I decided that the title would be larger at the top of the page, with the remainder of

the title in red, a good colour to stand out and it relates to the gothic horror style I

wanted to portray. I then added the authors name and an additional comment

relating to the authors previous book, with a minor pun...........

The hardest part of this project for me was the initial process of selecting an idea that

may work as a book cover. I very early on decided against a magazine cover, as I find

many of these very busy and you can get lost within the headlines. I had planned a colour

version of a gothic book cover, but as the process went through its various stages the

black and white idea took hold.

The book cover is simple, I believe the photograph portrays a gothic look and the

title ‘Beware of my Demon, Are we hiding the truth......’ provides a certain question

of whether the photograph is real-or-fake and if it is real, then is that a demon gothic

monster in the sky?

This assignment has been very thought provoking, enjoyable and I’m happy with the end

result.

I understand the topics covered within Project 4 of DPP and I’m looking forward to

carrying on with this module.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCA – Digital Photographic Practice

 

 

Assignment 5: Personal Project – Reflections and Shadows in London Architecture

 

 

The aim of the fifth and final assignment was to draw together all that I have learned

and apply it to a personal project.
 

I have many areas of interest within photography; one of these is Architectural

Photography.

I have a book of the same name by ‘Jim Lowe’ and love one of the quotes within

this book.
 

“Good architecture is like a piece of beautifully composed music crystallized in

space that elevates our spirits beyond the limitation of time”.

(Tao Ho b.1936)
 

My aim was to visit one location on one day and cover not only architectural

photography, but also light. A black and white format would be used. The light

form would be reflections and shadows and the location was East London.
 

I planned my journey ahead and travelled via train to London.

The images were taken using a Nikon D300 camera, a Nikon 18-200mm telephoto

lens and a Nikon 50mm fixed lens.

 

 

Photograph 1 - Reflections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The architectural lines were the first part of the building to catch my eye

and then the cloud reflections followed.

 

 

Photograph 2 - Shadows
















The shadows within the outer framework gave a strong purpose to this building.

 

 

Photograph 3 – Reflections and Shadows
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only is there a shadow cast on this building, but the light cables form

a reflection in the early morning light.

 

Photograph 4 – Reflections and Shadows

























This building has multiple reflections and shadows and changes with the

light. The architecture within the building also enhances the effects externally.

 

Photograph 5 – Reflections




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tree and light are reflected in this piece of moving architecture.

This is actually a caravan from the 1950’s which is now used as a burger van!

 

Photograph 6 - Reflections and Shadows

 

This office block was very dark and I was surprised at the architecture.

There was no feeling of space, with many smaller windows and lots of angles,

providing the shadows within the photograph.

 

Photograph 7 – Reflections and Shadows 























 

The stairs and walls to this underpass provide the correct angles, lighting

and shadows to make an uninteresting subject, interesting.

 

 

Photograph 8 – Reflections

 
















This photograph was taken on the opposite side of a very busy road.

The architecture of the building provides a permanent reflection, only changed

by different lighting throughout the day.

 

Photograph 9 – Shadows
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to take this photograph at an angle, to add to the lines within the

building and shadows.

 

Photograph 10 – Shadows
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photograph shows another building within London that has an architectural

skeleton frame. The lines and shadows add to the futuristic element.

 

 

Photograph 11 – Reflections
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One this building the lines were better photographed at an angle. The texture of

the concrete and the distorted clouds add to the image.

 

 

This project took me some time to plan after selecting the initial idea. I wanted

to add an element of light to what is seen by many to be an uninteresting

subject and produce a personal project linked by architecture and light.

Choosing to photograph from the beginning in black and white helped greatly

and I believe it adds a different dimension to these photographs. The lines, shadows

and tones are all magnified in black and white within these images.

I used one camera, a Nikon D300 and in the main one lens a Nikon 50mm, although

photographs 1, 3 and 11 were taken with a Nikon 18mm-200mm lens. I found

that the 50mm lens made you slow down and move around more to find a

better angle. This is something I shall do again.

I have enjoyed this module and look forward to the next one with the OCA.