Tony Sweet – Jennie Meadows MA Photography

AGM62 Bushy Park Hawthorns 1 December 2020

With a day of sunshine forecast, this was the time to get up early and catch the light. I also wanted to try out the 5:4 aspect ratio instead of my usual 3:2. My intention was to follow the tips outlined by Tony Sweet, Elliot Hook and Lindsay Silverman.

Sunrise was due at 7.45am, so I got to the park at 7.30am. This enabled me to both see and experience just how slow the light came up. It also made me look for the light’s direction and how it lit up my subjects and the environment.

My intention was to tryout the 85mm lens. I had returned the 105mm lens to its owner who assured me I could achieve a similar effect with the 85mm. However, I had made the mistake of not checking and packing my kit the night before. The camera had the 35mm lens on it. Annoying, but it would take me about 40 minutes to get the other lens and return to the park in time for the light.

I decided to go to Teddington Gate and start with this tree below. The last time I was in the park on 27 November, there was a large herd of deer near to the tree so this could be the time to capture it from a different angle.

35mm Images – 5:4 Aspect Ratio

These images were taken between 7.41am and 7.50am. The light was still caught behind the trees behind me at this time.

Admittedly, I was finding it difficult to get the composition and angle I was looking for. Realising I was in need of a bit of a warm up (photographically and corporeally) I walked to the patch of hawthorns on the left of Hawthorn Lodge.

The sun was gradually coming up and I took the following shots at 8.00am.

My patience was rewarded a minute later when the sun finally showed its glory.

The light was stunning – it gave a coppery glow that lit up the ferns beautifully. Again, I was having difficulty in getting low enough with the camera to get the angle I was looking for and being able to see the display screen.

These are the two images I think work best (both have been rough edited in Camera Raw. What does need work is aligning the horizon line. I was using the 4 x 4 grid that can be shown on the display screen to help with composition. So that there would be uniformity, I aligned the top of the ferns with the bottom third line as a guide. This seems to provide a good ratio of foreground, subject, background and sky.

When I shared these two shots with my classmate, Mark, he made the following comments:

“I like the way the sun is coming from the side. I think the second image works. Also, if you didn’t know, they could have been taken on safari. I would try to keep then looking the same in the frame so it doesn’t give the viewer the feeling of ‘bouncing’ in and out. Great shots!”

Will take these on board!

By this time, I was itching to use the 85mm and the light was beginning to get a bit harsh.

The decision was made to return home the return to the park with the 85mm.

85mm Images 5:4 Aspect Ratio

Unfortunately, the light had increased in harshness. Despite this, it was useful trying the 85mm lens with the 5:4 aspect ratio. The first tree I tried was this one (image below taken on 4 November 2020 using the 24mm-70mm zoom lens at 70mm and at 3:2 ratio).

These are the results.

I then walked to the row of hawthorns leading to the gap between the Woodland Gardens plantations.

I did manage to get the effect of blurring the background, which I liked. Again, I wasn’t able to get low enough and see the display at the same time.

My next step is to revisit all aspects of this project in light of the feedback and actions resulting from the Interim Review and previous Group Tutorial.

References

Digital Photography School. 2020. Aspect Ratios In Landscape Photography. [online] Available at: <https://digital-photography-school.com/aspect-ratios-in-landscape-photography/> [Accessed 2 December 2020].

“Landscape”, W., 2020. Want Better Landscape Photos? First Check Your Definition Of “Landscape” | Nikon. [online] Nikonusa.com. Available at: <https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/want-better-landscape-photos-first-check-your-definition-of-landscape.html> [Accessed 2 December 2020].

Modes, P., 2020. Personal Touch: The Art Of Z 7 And Z 6 Crop Modes | Nikon. [online] Nikonusa.com. Available at: <https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/personal-touch-the-art-of-z-7-and-z-6-crop-modes.html> [Accessed 2 December 2020].

AGM62 Better Landscape Photo Tips 30 November 2020

While looking for tips on improving my landscape photography, I came across a useful article on the Nikon website. Featuring tips from fine-art photographer Tony Sweet, I noted the following:

The earlier I get to my location, the more time I’ll have to let the light play with the scene
Sidelight on a scene serves to separate elements
Not all landscapes have to be taken with wide-angle lenses
Pick and choose, zoom and crop, get a high or low angle
Search out the stalwarts of composition:
- S-curves
- Leading lines
- Repetitions
- Patterns
- Rule of Thirds
- Textures
- Colours
- Juxtapositions
- Contrast
- Shapes found in nature
- Things connected to those shapes
But remember, there are no rules; it’s all about what attracts me
- Why does it attract me?
- The answer to that will help me frame and compose my picture or pick out from the larger scene the essence of what it is I want to convey
What I see in front of me isn’t enough
- Pick and choose, zoom and crop, get a high or low angle
- This is where landscape becomes a macro landscape, an abstract landscape, a landscape of elements
Develop a style, not a repetitive approach

I noted the following in greater detail to remind me of some of the key information:

Light – The Key Element

The article asked what should be looked for to make effective landscape images, to which Tony replied:

“Light,” Tony says without hesitation. “See the same scene in great light and lousy light, and it’s like you’re in a different part of the world. If you want to do it right, whatever it is, you have to get the light right.”

For Tony, the right light starts with scouting. “You have to know the time and the circumstances that will give you the best light. The issue is not where the action is, it’s when.”

For Tony, the best time is during the morning. Why?

Morning Light

Get up and out early for first light
Morning gives more time to shoot various levels of light
Gets lighter slower than it goes dark
More light slowly showing up to work with from pre-dawn to sunrise
Morning long exposures work better
Morning time is quality shooting time

The other aspect Tony covered was ‘shooting where you live’. As I had already taken that decision, I thought it pertinent to note ‘why’.

Why Shoot Where You Live

A favored landscape nearby gives the benefit of a quicker early-morning journey
The advantage of this is being able to get there year-round to catch the changes the seasons bring

Tony states that “The same landscape scene in four seasons is a great, under-shot project”. Something that I have already considered in relation to this project and going forwards.

With this information in mind and the information on aspect ratio, it was time for me to put it into practice.