Final piece - rewrite

The final piece for TAOP has to be in the form of a magazine article telling a photographic story. I have decided to show the WWI and WWII defences that circle the coast of Fife, most of which are in very poor repair and can only be found if you are actively looking for them, they are certainly not signposted like most historic monuments, although they probably should be. These are coastal remains that fascinate me, as they are so rarely visited except by the local graffiti artists, and were so important in the defence of Britain.

I spent some time deciding on whether to use monochrome or colour, trying using all of one or the other and ended using a mix to show the feelings the buildings evoked in me. Many were taken in poor weather, a few in bright sunshine. Most were taken using a Panasonic Lumix G1.The images were taken in RAW, processed via Lightroom 3, and the pages put together in Photoshop Elements 8 and 11. The font for all the pages except the title page is Ariel.

The hardest part of this project was to cut down the number of image used from hundreds of possible ones. Initially I had several more on some of the pages, but the pages looked cluttered, and the additional images did not add anything to the story. I also tried a variety of fonts for the text, but they made reading it more difficult and proved an unnecessary complication.

Cover page:

            Tank blocks - ISO 80, f/5.0, 21.8mm efl, 1/320 sec

This shows the tank blocks that were made in their thousands and lined the coast. They are hardly visible today in most places, and many have been moved. Monochrome was used to emphasise the graphic nature of the cubes. The font is 'Day Poster Black', which was then outlined with a white stoke in Photoshop Elements.

no change to image 

 Page 1 – Castles:

Top – Seafield Tower – ISO 80, f/5.6, 14.8mm efl, 1/400 sec

Bottom –Ravenscraig Castle ISO 100, f/16, 42mm efl, 1/60 sec

The castles along the seacoast make dramatic images, especially when seen on a stormy day. I choose to concentrate on the skies to show the often threatening nature of the weather in Scotland in winter. This was emphasised further in monochrome and by the distance and use of a wide angle lens in the lower image. The upper image was taken from directly below the tower to show the effect it has of looming over you, even though mostly in ruins.

no change to image 

Page 2 – Rosyth

            Top – Overgrown Brick bunker – ISO 100, f/5.6, 90mm efl, 1/30 sec

            Bottom – Bunker on hillside – ISO 100, f/4.5, 34mm efl, 1/640 sec

The WWI and WWII defences are much less dramatic, and often much less visible. Here the lower image shows how the bunkers sits on the hill, and uses the hill as protection, unlike the castles which stand above the landscape. A wide angle lens was used to show the bunker within the background. Walking backwards to get further away would have had me walking off the edge of a cliff. The colour detail image shows the overgrowth of ivy and closed over window.

no change to image

Page 3 Braefoot 1

            Top – Top of gun emplacement – ISO 640, f/6.3, 28mm efl, 1/200 sec

Bottom – Detail of gun emplacement – ISO 640, f/ 6.3, 62mm efl, 1/100 sec

The colour images here show the scale of the massive gun emplacements, and how desolate they are. Even with colour in winter the concrete blends in, and in summer they are almost invisible behind plant growth.

 no change to image

Page 4 – Braefoot 2

            Top left – Telephone post – ISO 400, f/5.5, 68mm efl, 1/50 sec.

            Top right – Summer view – ISO 400, f/5.6, 90mm efl, 1/50 sec

            Bottom – ISO 640, f/7.1, 40mm efl, 1/125 sec

The use of colour shows how different the bunkers look in different seasons, but they are still overwhelmed by the new (relative to the age of the bunkers) tree growth. Even in summer there is little light available, needing a high ISO to take a sharp hand-held image.

 no change to image

Page 5 – Charles Hill 1

            Top – Corridor in the gun area – ISO 100, f/2.5, 40mm efl, 1/200

            Bottom – Gun base – ISO 100, f/4.0, 40mm efl, 1/640 sec

This page uses a combination of detail (above) and landscape of the same building. The lower image is taken from where one would stand if operating the gun.

 no change to image

 Page 6 – Charles Hill 2

             Top – Inside a bunker – ISO 125, f/1.7, 40mm efl, 1/250 sec

Bottom – Bunkers lining the coast – ISO 100, f/4.0, 40mm efl, 1/640 sec

The view inside the bunker seems much larger because of the relatively wide-angled lens which increased the apparent way the walls converge, even when only a short length of the side walls is visible. It also increases the depth of field so all is in focus.  The monochrome emphasises the wrecked and deserted inside. The figure stress out the window as many must have done in the past. In the bottom image a wide-angle view was used to show as much of the view as possible. Colour shows the contrast between the concrete and nature, especially now the site is almost overrun with gorse.

Page 7 – Elie

            Top - Pile of tank blocks – ISO100, f/9.0, 52mm efl, 1/320 sec

            Bottom – Tank blocks ob cliff edge – ISO 100, f/6.3, 28mm efl, 1/320 sec

The landscape image shows a line of blocks looking over the coast, here the alien nature of the blocks is emphasised against the sky, but in most cases the blocks are being slowly broken down by the elements and lichen, or tumbles out of their original position. The monochrome emphasises the bleakness of the coast, especially on a winter’s day.

Page 8 – Crail Airfield

Top – Part of aircraft hangers – ISO 100, f/11, 90mm efl, 1/100 sec

Bottom – Bunker at the edge of a cliff – ISO160, f/5.6, 400mm efl, 1/250 sec

Colour was chosen here to show the deserted, rust streaked, nature of the hangers. A similar image in monochrome also worked well. The single bunker is a very bleak view, perched right on the cliff top. The use of a long telephoto lens has increased the visual bulk of the bunker and made it stand out. A similar picture using a standard lens from the same shot would have given a very small and less impressive image.

Page 9 - Tentsmuir 1

Top - View of the nature reserve with tank blocks – ISO 80, f/7.1, 20.4mm efl, 1/320 sec

            Middle – Steel pillbox – ISO 80, f/5.0, 14.8mm efl, 1/320 sec

            Bottom – Gun platform – ISO 80, f/7.1, 25.2mm efl, 1/320 sec

Here the defences stand out from the landscape of the nature reserve, and are being slowly destroyed by nature. Colour shows the contrast of man-made against nature. The steel pillbox is virtually rusted away. A wide-angle lens was used from close up to both show detail and exaggerate the shape of the gun platform. The same lens was used for the view of the setting, but here it simply allows for a wider angle of view.

 no change to image

Page 10 – Tentsmuir 2

            Top – Map

            Bottom – Bunker in a sand dune – ISO 100, f7.1, 28mm efl, 1/80 sec.

 The map was taken and altered from Wikipedia, used under a Creative Commons licence,                                                                                            (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fife_UK_relief_location_map.jpg).

I returned to monochrome for the final image to show my emotion when faced with the lack of care given to these monuments of war. This image also has the only human figure, a hardly visible person sitting waiting in army dress.  The lower picture shows the deserted nature of many of the remaining buildings which are like this one, covered in graffiti and half buried in blown sand. The single seated figure gives an idea of scale.

Final Piece

The final piece is now complete for sending in.

The topic has remained the Fife defences, concentrating on those from WWI and WWII. These are coastal remains that fascinate me, as they are so rarely visited except by the local graffiti artists, and were so important in the defence of Britain.

I ended using a mix of monochrome and colour to show the feelings they evoked in me. Many were taken in poor weather, a few in bright sunshine. Most were taken using a Panasonic Lumix G1.The images were taken in RAW, processed via Lightroom 3, and the pages put together in Photoshop Elements 8. The font for all the pages except the title page is Ariel.

Title Page.

This shows the tank blocks that were made in their thousands and lined the coast. They are hardly visible today in most places, and many have been moved. Monochrome was used to emphasise the graphic nature of the cubes. The font is 'Day Poster Black', which was then outlined with a white stoke in Elements.

Page 1.

The castles along the seacoast make dramatic images, especially when seen on a stormy day. I choose to concentrate on the skies to show the often threatening nature of the weather in Scotland in winter. This was emphasised further in monochrome.

Page 2

The later defences are much less dramatic, and often much less visible. Here the lower image shows how the bunkers sits on the hill, and uses the hill as protection, unlike the castles which stand above the landscape. The colour detail image shows the overgrowth of ivy and closed over window.

Page 3.

The colour images here show the scale of the massive gun emplacements, and how desolate they are.

Page 4.

The use of colour shows how different the bunkers look in different seasons, but they are still overwhelmed by the new (relative to the age of the bunkers) tree growth.

Page 5.

This page uses a combination of detail (above) and landscape of the same building. The lower image is taken from where one would stand if operating the gun.

Page 6.

The graffiti, from inside the last bunker in the line, was taken with a slow speed rather than using flash, as the flash distorted the colours and made it look too 'new'. An alternative would have been to use flash and alter the colours in Lightroom.

Page 7.

The landscape image shows a line of blocks looking over the coast, here the alien nature of the blocks is emphasised by the grey against the blue, but in most cases the blocks are being slowly broken down by the elements and lichen.

Page 8.

Colour was chosen here to show the deserted, rust streaked, nature of the hangers. A similar image in monochrome also worked well but did not fit so well in the sequence when looking from the previous page (7) to this one.

Page 9.

Here the defences stand out from the landscape of the nature reserve, and are being slowly destroyed by nature.

Page 10.

I returned to monochrome for the final image to show my emotion when faced with the lack of care given to these monuments of war. This image also has the only human figure, a hardly visible person  sitting waiting in army dress.

The hardest part of this project was to cut down the number of image used from hundreds of possible ones. Initially I had several more on some of the pages, but the pages looked cluttered, and the additional images did not add anything to the story.  I also tried using all monochrome and all colour, but in the end decided a mixture told the story better and was more interesting to look at. I also tried a variety of fonts for the text, but they made reading it more difficult and proved an unnecessary complication.

Final Piece

The final piece for TAOP has to be in the form of a magazine article telling a photographic story. I have decided to show the WWI and WWII defences that circle the coast of Fife, most of which are in very poor repair and can only be found if you are actively looking for them, they are certainly not signposted like most historic monuments, although they probably should be.

1. Title page - concrete blocks
2. Coastal shot
3. Castles
4. Rosyth 1
5. Rosyth 2
6. Braefoot
7. Charles Point
8. Leven Airfield
9. Concrete blocks
10. Tentsmuir 1 - bunkers
11. Tentsmuir 2 - sentry post and gun supports

Decisions to be made:

1. colour or monochrome - or a mixture
2. typeface
3. amount of explanation

Exercise - Rain Again

On further reflection I decided to go with a much simpler and starker image for rain:

Rain in a window. 1/160, f/3.3, ISO 80,

This shows what is needed, was taken on the spur of the moment when sitting hoping the rain would stop. Initially I thought colour - but settled on monochrome as then the subject was clearer.

Assignment 4 - redo

Encouraged by Alan (my tutor) I have done a rethink of this exercise and replaced a lot of the photos.

1.      Rollei shape 1 :           no change

2.      Rollei shape 2 :           no change

3.      Rollei form 1 :            no change

4.      Rollei form 2 :            new view from above with a partial side view

Rollei form 2: f/22, 90mm efl, 2.5 sec, ISO 100

5.      Rollei texture 1: monochrome image of whole camera focusing on the knobbly black metal case

Rollei texture 1: f/5, 90mm efl,  1/30 sec, ISO 100

6.      Rollei texture 2: partial view of top of camera showing the ridges in the viewfinder and the grain in the leather

Rollei texture 2: f/3.5, 90mm efl, 1/30 sec, ISO 160

7.      Rollei colour 1: back of camera showing colour in worn leather (natural light)

Rollei colour 3: f/3.2, 90mm efl, 1/125 sec, ISO100

8.      Rollei colour 2: side view of whole camera  colour in undamaged  leather (natural light)

Rollei colour 2: f/2.8, 90mm efl, 1/125 sec, ISO 100

9. Rollei colour 3: looking inside

ISO 250, f/2.8, 90mm efl, 1/60 sec.

Rethinking this assignment was an interesting exercise. It was hard to think of different ways to show such an iconic camera. All pictures were taken with my Panasonic G1, mainly with a 45mm (90) prime lens. The exposure was metered by the camera.

I have a single camera mounted flash, which can be swivelled to bounce light and no other photographic lighting so the still life shots were done with a variety of household lights and then colour corrected in Lightroom3 where required. The monochrome image was edited in Silver Efex pro 2.

These images are different than the previous set, and, I think, improved. There is a wider range of lighting used and more techniques shown.

Leave of Absence

After a period of about 6 months unavoidable pause in this piece of work I have now got back on track again. I haven't been totally stopped from learning as I have managed to visit several fascinating photographic exhibitions and art galleries, and also done some reading. The other thing I have managed is to increase my repertoire by taking some 'street photographs', and concentrating on monochrome.

How tall am I?

Just walking

Waiting

This is proving an interesting departure from my usual nature and plants theme, and one I clearly would benefit from extending.

Exercise - Evidence of Action

This exercise is to show that something has happened, something broken or emptied or finished.

Shattered Mirror - ISO 200, f/4.0, 32mm efl, 1/30 sec

I did not deliberately break this mirror, but heard a tremendous crash one night in a storm and it had fallen away from the wall and shattered. This illustrates broken as a concept.

Only one image was needed - but the house opposite is having its roof replaced before winter and another crash drew me outside to find this, the concept her is rubbish, thrown away or old and worn out.

Welsh Slate - ISO 320, f/9.0, 90mm efl, 1/60 sec.

Other concepts that are shown in magazines and on TV are: 

• wealth, poverty
• taste - food or clothing
• safety
• space (or lack of space)
• happiness

None of these are easy to photograph directly - so symbols are required. Some come so familiar that the symbol is enough to bring the concept to mind ,  a- castle = protection.  Some symbols give mixed messages and understanding depends on the context. Fire can mean warmth or danger, very different meanings, almost opposite in nature.

Exercise - Rain

In this exercise the idea was to show, in one image, rain. This sounds simple - but it isn't. The photo also needs to be original, and a 'good' photograph. I have tried several goes at it and am not yet entirely satisfied.

Attempt 1.

Walking in the Rain. - ISO 100, f/5.6, 24mm efl, 1/60 sec

This was taken in Edinburgh at Holyrood Palace while we were waiting for a break in the torrential rain. RAW edited in Lightroom 3, mono conversion in Silver Efex Pro, and some minor work in PSE8 (mostly removing a TV aerial).

Attempt 2.

Raindrops - ISO 250, f/5.6, 90mm efl, 1/125 sec

This was an attempt to show the raindrops bouncing up from the pavement. It was less than successful, although the paving certainly looks wet!

Attempt 3.

After the Rain - ISO 80, f/2.7, 47mm efl, 1/500 sec

This was after a very heavy rainstorm and the clouds are still lowering overhead. I love the picture - but am not sure that it really shows rain, maybe storms, or light.

So far I am not happy that any of these really fulfill the brief, however, the other day I was sitting inside the office at work and the rain was pouring down the window and everything outside was given a rippled effect. I couldn't immediately get up and take a photo, but - maybe it could be replicated with a hose pipe. An experiment is required.

Exercise - Juxtaposition

This exercise is designed to show how things work together to give an illustration of a theme. I choose to illustrate a book cover, partly because my narrative story is about a person and their hobby, partly because I find still life setups challenging, both to make and also to light and photograph.

The first challenge was to find an appropriate book, many of the books in our house are science fiction, and I struggled to think of a still life that would work. Eventually I remembered one of my favourite books of modern poetry - Of Rowan and Pearl - poems about rural Scotland.

                                                              'these berries

                                           that flare out in bunches

                                           enamelled in sheerest red..'.

                                                           ( Margaret Gillies Brown)

I set out by finding a rowan branch, they are full of berries at the moment, some seashells and strings of pearls. The arrangement went though many permutations, initially getting more complex, but I finally settled on a simple close up of the berries and pearls. I went though a slow process of setting up, photographing, checking images on the PC and then altering the arrangement. This meant I could leave the camera and lights in position and only change one variable at a time. I also carefully followed my checklist developed earlier, after assignment 4 feedback.

• think about what you are taking 
• rowan and pearls
• why are you taking it?
• for a book cover - therefore a portrait  shot is likely to work better
• what detail are you concentrating on?
• the colour of the berries
• what light are you using?
• artificial , lit from a slight angle, at the level of the berries and reflected via a gold reflector
• shutter speed and aperture
• aperture chosen to get as much of the picture in focus as possible, shutter speed not important as using a tripod, and cable release. ISO 100 to minimise grain.
• focal point
• the point at the middle of the berries and the top of the pearls, manual focus used to get this spot on.

ISO 100, f/22, 90mm efl, 2.5 secs.

• did it work?
• yes
• if so – why
• plenty of thought during the process!
• if not – why not
• what settings did you use
• as above, slow shutter speed, and small aperture
• what lighting
• artificial - but moved the light around until it really shined on the pearls
• what post-processing
• minimal, RAW processed in Lightroom 2, slight sharpening and enhancement of the red colour, levels checked in PSE8
•  

I then had some more fun making a book cover using the picture. I did try various more complicated layouts - but finally went for something simple. The title font is called 'Broken Ghost' and is available free online. The names are in 'Century'.

 

Tony Cragg and Old Aircraft.

The exhibition of sculptures and drawings by Tony Cragg at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art is full of items that make me want to touch them. The surfaces look inviting, smooth and cool. They are made from metal, resin and wood, are sinuous and twisting. Tony Cragg says ' I describe myself as a radical materialist......... sculpture  ...is a study of the material world .... it permits a journey of discovery that gives us a glimpse at the myriad of forms as yet unseen.' (Tony Cragg, Sculpture and Drawing,National Galleries of Scotland, 2011).

Many look organic, or contain distorted faces that appear and disappear as you look from different angles. Others mimic strange jars or pieces of old machinery, but i found these less inviting.

This one I found particularly striking and it reminded me of a recent visit to Doncaster Air Museum where many old planes were left outside waiting on someone to rescue them. The texture and the feel of this fuselage of a Canberra was similar and equally sculptural.

Shapes, textures and patterns that are striking can be found in unusual places. Both exhibitions were impressive in different ways. A reminder to keep looking and not to make assumptions about relative value as a learning experience.

Exercise – Symbols

A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. (Wikipedia).
Symbols can be large, small, complex or simple – it does not matter as long as they act to represent the idea. Some are common (a red cross), others are very culture dependant (a red crescent). The meaning of symbols can change over time, and changes within populations, for instance, across generations.

Starting thought:
Growth:

1.  The process of growing.

2.  Full development; maturity.

3.  Development from a lower or simpler to a higher or more complex form; evolution.

• a tip of a plant or a bud
  • a plant pushing though snow
  • a giant sunflower
• a wall height chart
• a child standing next to a wall chart to measure height
• or a teenager clearly overtopping the chart
• hands
• large and small together

Excess: 

1. The state of exceeding what is normal or sufficient

2. An amount or quantity beyond what is normal or sufficient; a surplus.

3. The amount or degree by which one quantity exceeds another:

4. Intemperance; overindulgence

• fat
  • a fat person (very politically incorrect)
• rubbish heaps
• left-overs on a plate
• something pouring over the edge of a plate - custard and apple crumble? 
• XS 
• very large and over a photo of something else - possibly people, or a pile of sweets

Crime:

1. An act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and for which punishment is imposed upon conviction.

2. Unlawful activity

3. A serious offense, especially one in violation of morality.

4. An unjust, senseless, or disgraceful act or condition

• graffiti
  • sprayed walls,
  • gang symbols
• broken bottles – in a corner, kicked to one side
• broken windows
• boarded up houses
• police vans

Silence:

1. The condition or quality of being or keeping still and silent.

2. The absence of sound; stillness.

3. A period of time without speech or noise.

4. Refusal or failure to speak out.

• mist/fog
  • very minimalist picture just showing trees only just visible
• snow
• praying hands
• people kneeling in a church
• graveyard
• tombstones

Poverty:

Fundamentally, poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and clothe a family, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living in marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean water or sanitation. (United Nations)

• empty hands
• a bag lady
• the big issue
• beggars in the street
• boarded up houses (again) 
• a cardboard box containing a few pennies

Light - and frustration

I was out walking along the coast path today looking for photos of WWII  defences (pillboxes and the like). The sun was in and out constantly - usually in though. We eventually gave up and went home as tea needed to be cooked. Life frequently gets in the way!
On the way home the sun suddenly broke though the clouds and illuminated the trees, which are just turning colour, with the most fabulous gold. The sky was stormy and the light was perfect - but - nowhere to stop safely, and and irritated motor cycle behind me so I couldn't even go slow to enjoy it. The next minute the sun went in for the rest of the day.

So when I got home I decided to convert one of the earlier photos to one with colours reminiscent of the trees, and this is what I came up with:

the original picture was much too blue (not sure why) so:

• RAW processed in Lightroom 2
• sharpened using high pass filter in PSE8
• extra layers made via the fractalius plug in with overlay and saturation blending modes

I then remembered coming home in similar stormy weather last week when the sun suddenly came out under the clouds for a few minutes  - and this was the effect:

Somehow I don't think I can really complain about the light in Scotland, even though it is frustrating at times.

Exercise–a narrative picture story

The story – building a model tank:
What happens
Pre-planning

• looking at references, books, on line, picture collection
• shelves and piles of books
• sitting at the laptop
• visiting museums
• watching tanks
• Bovington?
• Duxford?
• Muckleburgh?
• the real thing – but we haven’t seen one!

Building

• parcel arrives and is opened
• pieces spread out and checked
• spread on table
• gleeful looks -
• face, smiles
• pieces cut off sprue
• hands with scapel
• model built
• multi-stages
• early
• middle
• end
• model painted
• paint pots and brushes
• water tub

Finished and displayed!

Photoworks - Autumn/Winter 09/10

This issue of photoworks is devoted to relatively unknown Japanese photographers and their work, much of which has been produced in the form of photobooks rather than as prints for a gallery. This means that much of it needs to be looked a in context and in order rather than as individual images. It is therefore inevitable, that as only a small selection of any of the whole books are shown, some of the impact will be lost.

I have seen very little Japanese photography and am looking at it with an eye attuned to western culture which will effect the way I interpret the photos. I also became aware that I interpreted them differently than the reviewers, often in a more simplistic way. Next time I look at a book like this i think it is important to look at the images first – then read the review!. One picture where I had a markedly different instant understanding was in the work of Osama Wataya where the reviewer (Gordon MacDonald says ‘The most uncomfortable image……… is one of a man whose flesh seems to be melting from his body like wax’ (Gordon MacDonald, Photoworks 2009. p52. ). This image shows me a man who, in spite of his problems, walks down the street with his head held high. This difference may be because I work with people with a disability on a daily basis. Unlike MacDonald this man did not make me think of the atomic bombs, although I agree that it does show immense suffering.

Osamu Wataya - from Rumor

The images that I would most like to see more of were by Ariko, a Japanese photographer, who has taken pictures of Iceland to create pictures that are calm, with  a great sense of light and space. These images remind me of those by Dan Holdsworth ( seen earlier at the Baltic Gallery), which, although showing much more detail – have the same sense of light and calm.

Ariko - Swan Feather

Overall, this edition of Photoworks, although dedicated to Japanese photography shows a wide variety of images, some beautiful and others disturbing. It is clear that a simple label of Japanese does not immediately give an expectation of one ‘type’ of image, any more than British or American would. It is an area I will need to explore further.

Post Assignment 4

Feeling rather flat at the present. Not a very good response to my last assignment. Pictures too similar and lighting also too similar, both comments fair, but I had tried to take them inside and under artificial light deliberately, this is always something I find hard.

Wondering whether to start again completely – or to take some more and go outside (if it ever stops raining).

Also need to use more explanations of what and how, I tend to put it in this blog, but still not in enough detail. Not sure how to do this bit, self reflection  is not my strong point – so make a check list.

before:

• think about what you are taking
• why are you taking it?
• what detail are you concentrating on?
• what light are you using?
• shutter speed and aperture
• focal point

afterwards:

• did it work?
• if so – why
• if not – why not
• what settings did you use
• what lighting
• what post-processing

This should help. Less and better is the aim.

Assignment 4: Applying Lighting Techniques

I spent a long tome considering possibilities for this assignment and eventually decided to photograph an old Rollei camera that my step-father used 40 or more years ago.  This camera has personal meaning to me as watching him use it started me on taking photos, it has meaning as a piece of photographic history as a camera everyone recognises and it also has some very interesting detailing.

All the images were taken inside on backgrounds of card or black velvet. The lighting was supplied by a standard household bulb in  a flexible table lamp.

All images were taken in RAW and processed using Lightroom 2 and Photoshop Elements 8. Monochrome conversion was via Silver Efex Pro 2.

Shape.

Example 1.

ISO 400, f/3.2, 40mm efl, 0.8 sec

Here the additional lens gives an interesting shape with an  image that is almost a silhouette















Example 2.

ISO 400, f/4.4, 80mm efl, 1/8sec

The rollei without any additional lenses is almost a rectangular shape in silhouette.















Form.

Example 1.

ISO 400, f/4.5, 90mm efl, 1/20 sec

The rollei without any additional lenses or the viewfinder open is a simple box shape.













Example 2.

ISO 400, f/4.5, 90mm efl, 1/15 sec

When the viewfinder is opened the shape is still basically a rectangular box.













Texture.

Example 1.

ISO 400, f/4.5, 90mm efl, 0.4 sec

This image was taken against a black background and the light was shaded from half the picture, what light remains emphasises the texture in the viewfinder and the faux-leather side.

Example 2.

ISO 620, f/4.8, 48mm efl, 1/8 sec

Here the camera is in its leather case and the texture of the shiny leather is emphasised by the black on white contrast.

ISO 400, f/3.2, 90mm efl, 2.5 sec

The very overexposed effect caused by accidentally turning on the lamp during a long exposure has given an interesting effect of showing the texture and detail in the main body of the camera while loosing the edges. This gives a stylised effect similar to  a pen and ink picture.

Colour.

Example 1.

ISO 400, f/4.5, 90mm efl, 1/30 sec

There is little colour in the camera itself, black and silver, however, the leather case is a rich brown which contrasts against the pale blue background.

Example 2.

ISO 400, f/4.5, 90mm efl, 1/20 sec.

Here more of the leather case shows, this time against a neutral background, together with the lighter underside of the strap.

This possibly was not the easiest object to use for this set of images - but overall I am pleased with them. An object with a greater range of colours might have demonstrated the lighting effects better, but this was certainly an interesting exercise.