Project 2: Writing Analytically; Analyse a Photograph.

For this exercise we had to analyse one of our own photographs.  I have chosen this autumn scene of Burbage Brook where it runs through Padley Gorge in Derbyshire.

This clearly a landscape image.  It is of an upland river that is running quite full.  Although well saturated, the colours are from a restricted palette and do not contain any vibrant primary colours.  There is harmony through the choice of similar colours.  There is no clear intention of use when the image is viewed, although it could have been for publication in a calendar or for the greeting card industry or even intended for inclusion in an exhibition.  The photographer uses his images to illustrate talks on wildlife and landscape to a range of groups and this is another possible use of the photograph.  The photographer has selected the river to be the focus of the image and positioned himself so that the river runs towards him; he has chosen an elevated position so that he looks down on the river and can portray the way it meanders down its course in a series of curves.  It would appear that this is a planned image, although not arranged.  The landscape was static at this moment and allowed the photographer to carefully choose his position and the timing in order to capture the best light.  A small aperture has been used to ensure sufficient depth of field to keep everything sharply in focus.  A low ISO and possible an ND filter have been selected in order that a relatively long exposure can be used to produce pleasing motion blur in the water, but not so long that all detail is removed.  A tripod has been used to ensure that all other aspects of the images are sharp.  It is difficult to comment at length on this photographer's style from this one image.  If, however, this picture is characteristic of the photographer's work, then his preferred style is carefully planned landscape photography using small apertures to ensure that everything is sharp from back to front in much the same way that Ansel Adams and the f64 group aimed to do.  Two ways this photographer's style differs from that of Adams', however, is that this is colour rather than black and white and Adams like to shoot with short exposures to stop the water and 'freeze motion in time'.  From this one image it would seem that the photographer's intention was to portray the river within it's  environment to provide a sense of motion and illustrate the season.  The chances are that there is enough information here to say that this view is as the photographer saw it.  It appears natural and the product of one image rather than a blend of three or more as in an HDR.  Some obvious things could have been 'photoshopped' out but have not.  This image does seem to achieve what the photographer set out to do: produce a landscape image that shows the character of a river in its surroundings.  A tripod has been used along with appropriate camera settings to secure the desired result.  It is a successful image, although a different viewpoint could have been chosen to avoid some distracting branches in the upper left.  There is also a distracting branch caught on the rocks in the lower right.

What have I learned

I found it surprisingly difficult writing about one of my own photographs.  I elected to write it in the third person as someone viewing the image but perhaps it should have been done more personally.  It did make me look at it very carefully though and consider aspects that I normally wouldn't spend so much time thinking about such as intent, style and success.  I usually decide if I like it enough to keep it.  I do like this shot and feel that it is a success but close examination made me notice those distracting features mentioned.  I do think it fits what I think of as my style in landscape photography.  I dis set out to show 'just the right amount' of motion blur in the water and I think that I have succeeded in this.  I also feel that it illustrates the season well.