Wednesday, May 16, 2012

#BlogTogs - What catches your eye?

What makes an image stand out and catch your attention? Is it purely down to subject matter?

This week, following a prompt from the fab digital photography book I told you about in the last BlogTogs post, I took a series of photographs of an object - my dad's old Yashica slr - photographing it from different angles and not reviewing the images at all until I had transferred them to my laptop. I then created the contact sheet, putting all the images side by side to see if any of them popped out and grabbed my eye so I could then try and work out why...


When I look at this I am  mainly drawn to photos that capture the front of the camera. There are several straight on pictures - I particularly like the one at top right of contact sheet (no 4 below) but unfortunately it's not in focus ( I might go back and try this shot again sometime though...)




Grouping the shots together like this, my eye is instantly drawn to number 3 even though the others show more of the camera I like that it is off centre and there is no background clutter. These pictures have not been edited or cropped in any way yet. Cropping out unnecessary background is always an option with digital captures but it's so much more satisfying to capture the frame you want first time!


I like these face on shots but this second group of pictures where I have focused on the lens with all it's dials and numbers seem more interesting to me.

All of these shots concentrate less on the camera as a whole. The emphasis is in the detail. The dials used to fascinate me as a child. I had no idea what they meant but I knew that my dad spent ages adjusting them whilst we all stood in line in our best clothes for the obligatory 'family' shots. When I was allowed to use the camera myself (and I can still remember how cool that felt!) I discovered why it took him so long as I turned the dials, click by click, to get the scene to look how I wanted it. It's one of the things I miss the most in my digital camera with it's auto focus - and one of the main reasons why I want to learn how to use it manually!

So what have I learnt by doing this exercise?

For me it's the little things that are important. The details that combine to make up the whole. And I have also realised that there can be very personal reasons why an image stands out - it can evoke a feeling or a memory and that can make the image more powerful.

All the above images are as they came off the camera. But editing is as much a part of the fun of creating a good image as the original shot itself (and we will look at that a bit more in depth another time) so I had to have a play with the images!

Here are my overall favourites. Out of 29 photographs I have a set of three images that I really love...




I realise these pictures are quite personal to me - you will probably not feel what I feel when I see them. But that's what photography is all about for me; capturing a 'feeling'.

Why don't you have a go too? Pick an object to photograph, maybe something that is special to you, and really explore it - up close, from a distance, from above and below. Try something you wouldn't normally do. Study the results and pick the images that stand out for you. Ask yourself why. Is it the colour? The light or shadows? Is it the memory that the image evokes?

Blog it if you want and leave a link below if you feel like sharing.

Enjoy!

10 comments:

  1. I am completely drawn to the top right one, I am wondering if it's because the lens shares some aesthetic properties with an eye and perhaps we are drawn to that as we know subconsciously how powerful and important eye contact can be? Hmm I love a bit of psychology!
    Sue x

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    1. Yes!!! That's it exactly - it's like the camera is looking straight at you! definately going to go back and try that shot again...
      Thank you x

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  2. The one i love is the one you have used as first photo of the bottom group.
    Love the idea of making a cotact sheet and seeing what jumps out. I think i may have to use this when selecting my images.
    Thank you fro a great post.

    {Dab and a dash.}

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    1. I think it's a brilliant way to really compare shoots - it's how magazines pick the shots they use for publication. Seeing them all together like that is much more effective than viewing as a slideshow, although you do need to zoom in to check the picture is properly in focus as it's not always obvious from small contact sheet pics.

      Thanks for commenting x

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  3. I like the contact sheet idea and I'm amazed how some of the images do leap out at you despite being with similar pictures. I particularly like the detailed shots like the lenses too.
    My attempt at your BlogTogs idea is here: http://92three30.com/general/a-study-in-pictures/ It's not as detailed as yours and shows more of a process than a thing, but I found it interesting to do.

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    1. Thanks for posting your link - I meant to add it to the end of the post but it was late... do try it again sometime, I found it really helpful - and I have a lovely gift idea for my dad too ;-)

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  4. What a good idea. I struggle with images of my items, although I think I am quite good at family and holiday snaps. The 2 images you have chosen are really interesting. I might have to look for your photography book.
    liz
    crow cottage

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    1. sorry comment below should have been in reply to your comment... d'oh!

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  5. I think this method is really efffective when it comes to product shoots. You need the image to tell the story of the product and convince potential customers that they MUST have it! The more interesting the image, the better.

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    1. I have ordered the book and I'm going to join you:) I am so taken with your camera images, I can see how it looks so much more interesting. had a look through the preview on amazon and it looks like a fascinating book. I do already have a book on digital photography, but it's boring and I've never used it. Now see what you've done!
      liz
      crow cottage

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