12 photographs
Purpose
To explore how the landscape changes across the seasons and
how you react to these changes.
Exercise instructions
- Consider light, colour, detail and the broader landscape
- Shoot 12 images that convey your personal response to the season
- Repeat this assignment 3 times more, once in each season by visiting the same general location at least once during the season.
- Hold these additional photos until the end of the course.
- Then select 3 photos which best reflect the feel of each season.
- The aim is to end up with 12 images (3 x 4 seasons).
- This is in addition to project 15 (also to be included in the final portfolio (1 shot of the same scene x 4 seasons).
- Evaluate the effectiveness of each shot in providing depth and drawing the eye into the frame.
Images and Review
Seasons
Winter
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| Hard frost, Bushy Park |
 |
| Eerie gathering in the fog, Bushy Park |
 |
| Winter dawn, Bushy Park |
Spring
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| Spring light and shadow, Southbank, London (of all places) |
 |
| Bluebell Wood, Micheldever |
 |
| Oilseed rape field Chirton, Wiltshire |
Summer
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| Poppy field Upavon, Wiltshire |
 |
| Summer rain Dunkeswell Airport, Somerset |
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| Camped on the beach Sidmouth, Devon |
Autumn
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| Dying and dead Basingstoke Canal |
Winter Assignment
This assignment was undertaken in 2 parts. Images 1 to 6 were taken in the winter of 2011/12, mostly in Bushy Park, Kingston-on-Thames. Images 7 to 12 were shot in Switzerland in the winter of 2009/10.
The first 6 images show trees in the winter light and weather of southern England, the second 6 images the snow that dominates the Swiss winter.
This division reflects my personal history of this course. I started when living in Switzerland, had to suspend it for a year, then returned to pick the threads in November 2011.
Tutor's conclusion (Jesse Alexander)
I instantly ‘get’ what [these pictures] are about (winter), but the reading is too instantaneous, and therefore empty.
A little bit of a step back from your first submission (Assignment 2) ... not in terms of image quality but in your confidence to articulate your own perspective.
You could market these pictures successfully, but, with the exception of the shot of the tree and the girl, they have none of the critical, personal voice of that first body of work.
I am sure this is down to you just losing your momentum a bit during deferral, so please don’t be put off by these remarks.
By Level 2, we do hope that you will have technical competence, which you certainly have, to say the least, but stepping up and putting your point of view across in your work is
where we hope you will really be focusing on now.
My response
On reflection, I agree with your observation that, since the last assignment, whilst I have improved technically, I am going backwards in developing personal style and voice. It has taken me a few days to absorb this feedback.
The first 6 images show trees in the winter light and weather of southern England, the second 6 images the snow that dominates the Swiss winter.
This division reflects my personal history of this course. I started when living in Switzerland, had to suspend it for a year, then returned to pick the threads in November 2011.
Tutor's conclusion (Jesse Alexander)
I instantly ‘get’ what [these pictures] are about (winter), but the reading is too instantaneous, and therefore empty.
A little bit of a step back from your first submission (Assignment 2) ... not in terms of image quality but in your confidence to articulate your own perspective.
You could market these pictures successfully, but, with the exception of the shot of the tree and the girl, they have none of the critical, personal voice of that first body of work.
I am sure this is down to you just losing your momentum a bit during deferral, so please don’t be put off by these remarks.
By Level 2, we do hope that you will have technical competence, which you certainly have, to say the least, but stepping up and putting your point of view across in your work is
where we hope you will really be focusing on now.
My response
On reflection, I agree with your observation that, since the last assignment, whilst I have improved technically, I am going backwards in developing personal style and voice. It has taken me a few days to absorb this feedback.
Here's why I am advancing technically, but regressing in communication:
- Personal voice comes from emotional connection with the subject. This connection comes with close contact. The landscape that surrounds me now, as opposed to my time in Switzerland,the M25 ring around London, the the UK's most congested urban environment. Nearby 'landscape' is mostly managed space for mass recreation or to reduce the oppression for residents of bricks, tarmac, cement and cars. I can find plenty to say about that sort of landscape but this lies out of course scope.
- So, making contact with in-scope landscape requires a decision where to go, time on the road to get there, confirming subject interest, abandoning the idea if no interest, visiting the location again if a prospect and waiting for light. This has to be found from a working life of 2.5 days of time spread over 4 days per week, and other personal commitments.
- Furthermore, the course's projects are strongly technical exercises: find a scene with..., in such and such conditions ..., take x number of shots with your camera at these settings...tell us what you think. (Useful for technical improvement and I seem to be benefitting).
Still, not be defeated by this challenge, I am exploring for my next assignment the theme of water interacting with man-made structures within a 10 mile radius of home. I am taking as my inspiration for this the work of Toshio Shibata, on whose work I have posted a page on my blog.
I will fill in the gaps in project work between assignments 1 and 3 as quickly as possible and write them up in sequence. However, I will spend less time on honing my technique by not re-doing the projects once results are 'good enough' for purpose.
1. A king of a tree, standing
tall in the finery of its winter branches
 |
| Bushy Park |
Exception to comment about lack of individuality... a plain, English grey sky behind a cold, leafless oak tree in front of a smearing of snow – and most importantly, a modest yet powerful splash of colour which brings the scene to life, showing there is warmth amidst this bleakness.
2. Trees seemingly drawing strength from infrequently bright winter sky
2. Trees seemingly drawing strength from infrequently bright winter sky
 |
Woodland at Virginia Water Lake
|
3. Trees emerging from the misty twilight of a winter dawn
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Bushy Park
|
Stunning ... shows dedication to shoot this place at such a perfect time of day.
4. Trees enduring the frost and fog
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| Bushy Park |
5. Tree decorating the still surface of its neighbouring stream
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| Bushy Park |
6. Tree drawing a crowd in the eerie gloom
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Bushy Park
|
Wonderful atmosphere ... quite eerie
7. Skiers take on the challenge of the high Alps
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| Crap Sogn Gion above Flims (2,400 metres) |
8. Sunset arrives at the out of season swimming
pool
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| Lake Cauma |
Good observation, but .... too preoccupied with the composition of the shot,
treating it as an almost abstract element ... more interesting to see this within the
broader context of the landscape.
9. Weekenders take the winter air at the local ice
rink
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| Dolder ice rink |
10.
Forest lies
silent after a blizzard
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| Forest at Uetliberg |
11. Village church absorbs the winter sun
 |
| St Remigius Church, Falera |
Postcard material?
12. The water shines with the reflection of its surroundings
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| Lake Cauma |
Postcard material?
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