2.1 Discussing Ideas & Test Photos

After looking at the work of  Charlie Waite I decided to go out and try some more test photos.

Venue      -   Axe Edge Moor & Goyt Valley, Peak District, Derbyshire

Equipment -  Panasonic Lumix G1, 14-45mm lens & tripod

We had better weather on this trip, however it did start very grey, blustery and cold.  I used only my 14-45mm lens since I did not want to set up the tripod for every shot and had trouble holding the camera still with the heavier lens.

I feel the compostion of my pictures is improving and I am trying to remember all the elements of good design, the rule of thirds, pattern, tone and colour.  As the day progressed and the wind became stronger, the covering cloud broke up revealing blue sky with more interesting cloud formations, I tried to include these in my pictures.  However, I am still disappointed with the colour and depth in the scene.  I also tried to include diagonal lines, as in many of Charlie Waites photographs.

Steve suggested that I try different settings on the colour balance and try to get out early in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky and adds shadows and warmth to the scene.  We looked at the colour temperatures in the Kelvin scale below to illustrate this point.

He also suggested  I try using a lower viewpoint to get more interest and detail in the foreground and using some device to lead the eye into the picture, such as the line of fence posts in the right foreground, (in the picture above), to give  a feeling of depth.

I also now have an adaptor ring to fit my Cokin filters to my Panasonic camera so will experiment with these next time I am able to get out with my camera.

We are planning a trip to the Welsh coast and I will remember the advice from Steve about time of day and weather conditions as well as different view points.

We have also talked about Health and Safety and I have research the Countryside and Wildlife Act so that I am aware of access rights and damage to flora and fauna.