Assignment 5: Revisited

This post is to follow up on my original post for the fifth and final assignment, People and place, on assignment, as a chance to reflect upon tutor feedback and to explore some ideas that have been thrown up.

Individual Image Comments

The original submission for this assignment included 14 images and the tutor commented on all of them but here I will just select a few of the more significant comments.

1. Drivers' briefing

From OCA P and P Assignment 5

"This is a good image to open your sequence because it deals with the administrative preparations before the event. The impact of the image is much enhanced by the expression of the clerk of the event as he appears to greet one of the participants with his hand outstretched giving the impression of a friendly greeting. I experimented on the image using Photoshop Image>Adjustments> Highlights and Shadows to reduce the highlights by 50% to put more detail n the clerk’s face."

I have made a slight curve adjustment edit (in Lightroom) to selectively reduce the exposure on the clerk's face and here is the slightly modified version:

3. Starting lights

From OCA P and P Assignment 5

"In my opinion the figure of the course marshal and the starting lights is the essence of this image and I do not consider that the curb makes a positive contribution."

At the time I was taking close ups behind the start line and so only had the 24-105 lens to hand when this opportunity presented itself at some distance. As a result I had already needed to make a significant crop to this image and wanted to ensure I had enough pixels for a qood quality print when making my assessment submission. The original was 5616x3744, the crop submitted was 3308x2646 and here is a revised version with an even tighter crop at 2649x2119:

9. Poised to record

From OCA P and P Assignment 5

"In my opinion this image would have been improved if the two photographers were not looking into camera but more involved in their task. It seems to give a rather static impression."

I agree, however the position required to take this shot meant being on the track and so had to be done at a safe moment hence the togs are less engaged at that moment, though the public have cameras up for some reason. I was able to get a view of some other togs in action on a different part of the track by shooting from the opposite side, here is one of the alternative shots that were considered:

10. Motorbike and sidecar in action

From OCA P and P Assignment 5

"The attitude of the figures of the driver and his passenger create a great impression of intense concentration on a right-hand bend. There is a trace of motion blur but I think that the shutter speed was too short."

Yes, agreed that the shutter speed was too short, see further comments under Conclusions below. I was tempted to go with a completely different shot of the motorbike and sidecar, without pan and very close:

14. Back to the paddock

From OCA P and P Assignment 5

"Is the driver’s tongue really that size?"

I can only say yes. He stuck his tongue out and I clicked the shutter, that bit of the images has not had any special editing.

Conclusions

Areas for improvement:

"I have examined your learning log and find it to be well-arranged and complete with evidence of your studies and the essay which accompanies your gives a good account of your on site problems and how you arranged to deal with them. Your conclusions are very frank show that you have picked up on those aspects of your technique which need to be addressed."

I had a couple of further thoughts on reducing shutter speed to improve the pans. Firstly I could have dropped from ISO100 to ISO50. ISO50 is not a true native ISO for the camera and not a setting I usually use but in this case it would have been a very simple option to apply. Secondly I could have stopped down the shutter as the depth of field effect ceases to matter much for backgrounds that are blurred by motion anyway.

From the tutor on a positive note:

"Your images are all of high quality both in composition, exposure and focusing. The latter of that group can often prove difficult to maintain consistently accurate results at motor sport events."