1. Mosman
Location: Burnt Orange Cafe, Mosman, NSW
**I traveled to Sydney on the weekend
Technique/equipment:
Outdoor PhotographyPhone camera | Shot: 1/780 sec. f/2.2 4.8mm | ISO: 40
Silhouette Photography
Process:
I did some shots experimenting with outdoor lighting before finally captured this. Also, I asked my friend to do different poses for me.I set my phone camera into auto mode, and flash off.
I turned this image into black and white on Photoshop and did some cropping. I also changed 'levels' and 'curves' to make the objects more distinct.
Reasoning:
I chose this cafe as a photo shoot location because it has a quite flattering view and sheltered terrace, so I can capture landscape and at the same time play with lights.
Among all images taken, I think this profile pose is the best, as more facial and body features are outlined so it is more likely to recognize the objects.
Reflection:
I am not an expert in using manual mode on camera, and phone camera is very practical for me to do silhouette photography. Especially, because it has auto-mode which can sort of detect which bit of the bright background I want it to set the exposure on.
#oneperday2017
2. Boat
Technique/equipment:
Macro photographyPhone camera | Shot: 1/7 sec. f/2.4 | ISO: 100 | Apps: Snapseed, Pixlr Express
Process:
I made a tiny origami boat as my object. Then I experiment with a drop of milk to create a scene of a sailing boat. I turned the light in my room off and had my table lamp as lighting in this photo. I put the lighting in between the camera and the object, slightly from above.I fixed the lighting effect on Photoshop to create a more dramatic and high contrast image.
Reasoning:
I chose to experiment with drops of liquid as it allows me to create many different interesting images with nice effects.The lighting with table lamp worked very well because it is not as strong as lighting from torch which I usually use. It helped me to focus only on the main objects. However, I need to make the backdrop darker with Photoshop.
Reflection:
With the helps of some apps and software, phone camera can do the trick to produce micro photography with a pretty good result.
A little bit of noises in the image is not always a bad thing, since it actually enhance the 'mood' of this image.
#oneperday2017
3. Hello
Technique/equipment:
Light PaintingDSLR camera | Shot:I I 15 sec. f/22 18mm| ISO: 200
Process:
The lights were turned of in the room to make it pitch black.I set my camera on a tripod. I did this with manual settings: 15 seconds, ISO 200.
I confirm with my friend who did the painting how wide is the area framed in the camera before I took pictures.
I asked my friend to do a 'hello' writing using her phone torch in a slow motion for 15 seconds.
Reasoning:
The ISO numbers in this image has to be as high as the camera can do, so it is more sensitive to lights.I set the time for 15 seconds to give my friend enough time to do light painting.
I needed to confirm with my friend first if she is in frame because she would move, and I did not want the painting to be accidentally cropped.
Reflection:
The production of this image is quite fun.
The lighting used to paint has to be quite strong so the painting is distinct and clear (I prefer a convergent beams of light to work on this).
Some camera (like the camera I used) can show the count down of the time which make it easier for the painter to predict how slow or fast she needs to be.
#oneperday2017
4. Son
Technique/equipment:
Phone camera | Shot: 1/7 sec. f/2.4 | ISO: 50
Model: My friend's son
Process:
I set the room to be dark and asked the boy to stand by the window (approx. 1 meter away from the window).I captured this image using my phone camera (auto setting).
I enhance the contrast of this image on Photoshop and turned it to be black and white. I turned the backdrop to be pitch black.
Reasoning:
I need to cover most of the window with curtain, because I wanted just a little sun rays hitting the boy's face. If there was too much light, the contrast would not be as high.The auto setting on my phone helped me to adjust the ISO, so it is still quite sensitive to lights but did not create noises.
Reflection:
In this image, the angle of where I took the picture from is very important, because it will affects the lighting effect.This is quite challenging for me, because it is difficult to create strong shadows.
#oneperday2017
5. Bus Stop
Objects: A safety pin, stapler refill, bus stop sign miniature
Technique/equipment:
Phone camera | Shot: 1/25 sec. f/2.4 | ISO: 50 | Apps: Snapseed + Pxlr express
Process:
I bent the safety pin to mimic the pose of a sitting person. Then, by using glue, I arranged the position of the objects and lighting on my desk. I used torch for my lighting.
I fixed this image on Photoshop by changing the 'levels' and 'curves'. Then, I cropped the image so it only focuses on the objects.
Reasoning:
I decided to 'play' with everyday objects that I have on my desk because it is easy and convenient.'Waiting at the bus stop' is also something that I daily do, so I really took inspiration from daily life as a student.
My white desk acted as a perfect plain backdrop which gave a clean look and made the objects become the main focus.
Torch is a very good source of lighting because it is very bright and has strong divergent beams. The lighting comes from top-right to mimic sunlight in real world.
Reflection:
Lighting and angle is an important element to create this image because it helps to communicate the 'atmosphere'. It is very fun to work with small objects but also rather challenging to arrange their positions. Also, I need to think what happen in the real world (for example where the light comes from) to be able to communicate through the image.
#oneperday2017
