22 October 2024
Darren’s presented examples of his own work to demonstrate how not to (and how to) make great images.
Topics covered included:
Wait for the shoot (people do move). Work the scene. Take more than one image, trying different angles and don’t forget to look behind you.
Think about the Rules of Composition (rule of thirds, symmetry, rule of odds (three of a kind is better)).
Why Auto exposure is not always right. The camera wants the average to be 18% grey. White images will look grey, and darker images will too.
Try different angles: look up; look down. Don’t forget the Swan with no neck.
Be aware of the ambient light, especially sidelights. If you need more ensure you shoot with lighter material at the sides, if you want less use black backdrops, mount board, to remove ambient side light. Prisms and pouring oil.
Darren recommended retaining the numeric Id when cataloguing images. He demonstrated that whilst they are likely to be repeated every 10,000 shots, they are extremely unlikely to be of a similar subject.
Darren’s talk demonstrated how much easier it is to resolve issues in camera than to resolve in post (although Darren uses both).
Finally Darren concluded with his images that didn’t get 10 out of 10 in his Camera Club’s competitions. Hopefully, this final section will encourage everyone that any score given by a judge is wholly subjective and reflective of all of the images reviewed on the night. It is the judge’s feedback that is more helpful when seeking to improve our photography.
Another great talk with lots to take away.
If you would like to see Darren’s work checkout his website and Flickr:
Website: Darren Pullman
Flickr: Darren Pullman