Thank you for coming to look at my blog.
I started writing posts in January of 2019 and have now added over 30 more. I do hope you will enjoy reading about my journey to become more visually literate. I would encourage you to add your comments or questions to the individual posts. I will try to reply in a timely manner.
The Google Blogger application prints out posts in reverse order so the first one you will see is the last one I have written. If this is the first time you have visited this blog it would be best if you could read the posts in the order they were written. If you look on the the right hand side of this page you can see the dates of all the posts so you can select those from January 2019. All the post titles include the name Post 1 Post 2 Post 3 etc
I look forward to hearing your views in the comments section or by email to chrisc2055@gmail.com
Friday, December 27, 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Post 34- A Review of the past 12 months.
I started my Project designed to
improve my visual literacy almost 12 months ago and have thoroughly
enjoyed the discoveries I have made. I have tried to keep a note of
the stages of my journey through the posts on this blog.
Early influences were Victoria Wilcox, Valerie Dahling, Chris Gilbert, Chris Upton and Chris M Dale. Exposure to these photographers opened my eyes to the many techniques open to the modern photographer and encouraged me to develop my own style of image creation.
I am in the process of selecting images
for my third photobook of “Arresting Images” which I hope will
enable you to see the evolution of my style and techniques during
the year. I hope to get the chance to share these images with you.
I have benefited greatly from being a
member of various photography groups like Togsquad, Ockbrook and
Borrowash Image Club, Ockbrook Photo Club, the Friends Facebook Group
and the Macro Photography Group. I have learned a lot by sharing
ideas and experiences and moving out of my comfort zone to join in
their monthly challenges..
During the year I have been inspired by
Paul Sanders, Doug Chinnery, Julia Anna Gospodaru, Charlotte Bellamy,
Heather Burns, Alex Fredricksen and Mary Frances.
I have also learned a lot by having
Moy, my wife , as a mentor. Many of the techniques and approaches I
am struggling to learn seem to come naturally to her and I am
regularly impressed and inspired by her work.
I now have a portfolio of techniques
available to me and plan to spend next year trying to use my
imagination and develop my creativity. I plan to produce images that
create an emotional response in me hoping that they will also evoke a
response in the viewers of my work. I must try to be less concerned
about other people's opinions of my work and not be disheartened if
their response is muted or negative.
I intend to close this blog at the end
of 2019 and start a new one as I continue my journey towards
increased Visual Literacy. I hope you will follow along.
Here is a link to Year 2 of my blog if you wish to follow along.
https://visualliteracyjourneyyear2.blogspot.com/
Here is a link to Year 2 of my blog if you wish to follow along.
https://visualliteracyjourneyyear2.blogspot.com/
Chris Calverley
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Post 33- Black and White
I am impressed by these but not moved by them. A small number of contributors are posting images of people and street scenes and these appeal to me much more. I do not plan to continue posting on this site
I am now convinced that black and white images are intrinsically more "arresting" because they portray their subjects in a way that is unreal and therefore likely to be more intriguing for the viewer. I have enjoyed revisiting old images and re-editing them in black and white and am very happy with the results.
The following three images are ones where I have allowed a single colour to remain. I like them because they look "different".
I have not yet started to try and pre-visualise images in black and white which is a key precursor to the production of a "fine art" image. This is a completely different way of thinking and will take some time to master. I am lucky enough to have a Fuji camera that can produce black and white images on the preview screen so I hope to be able to learn this new skill fairly quickly.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Post 32- Craving Recognition?
My good friend Dave Vowles and I have been debating Fine Art Photography and we have both been influenced and inspired by the work of Julia Anna Gospodaru and the (En)visionography movement she has created. I have recently found that she has created a closed Facebook Group to display Black and White Fine Art Photographs and have been following it for the past week. The group is curated by Julia herself and has a number of strict criteria about the content that is allowed. The rules state that works that do not fit the criteria or get little support will be removed from the page quite quickly.
I have observed that most of the images seem to be of buildings and bridges often surrounded by calm waters and cloudless grey skies. Portraits are specifically excluded from the site "unless the exhibit an artistic approach".
I have so far posted two images. The first was a study of a woman finely dressed in steampunk vintage clothing at an event at Papplewick Pumping Station. Near the end of the closing day of the event, together with two others, she proceeded to climb onto the coal heap and play apparently delighting in getting dirty. I posted this image and it received two likes but disappeared on the second day. Apparently this had been removed by the curators but no reason was given. Was it removed for not being classed as fine art or for getting insufficient support?
The second image I posted was a study of a small part of the Knife Angel. This sculpture was made from knives handed in a Police Weapon Amnesties and attracted a lot of interest in the three weeks it was outside Derby Cathedral. This image has been on the Facebook page now for a little over 24hrs and has received 5 likes. I will watch with interest to see how long it remains on the page.
This experience raises two issues. Are these two image worthy of being categorised as examples of Fine Art Photography? And why am I still so obsessed with how many likes my posted images receive?
Fine Art Photographs show subject matter in a way that originally only existed in the mind of the images creator using captured images processed using software. In both the images above I initially processed them as colour images but saw the potential for them to become more striking in high contrast monochrome, more closely cropped and framed than the originals. Is this sequence good enough to qualify as "fine art" or is it necessary to have a vision of an end product before the initial captures. I feel a need to get clarification on this point.
I am quite well aware that there will be a spectrum of quality going from poor examples of fine art photographs to high quality examples and am quite happy for these two images to be placed lower down on the scale.
On the subject of seeking to peer review my images by posting them on sites like this I am more clear. True artists produce work that they themselves believe have merit and do not need or seek the praise of others. I have not even come close to this state of mind and am still craving the recognition that comes from Facebook Likes. Maybe when I am further along my journey towards the goal of visual literacy I will be less dependant on likes.
I have observed that most of the images seem to be of buildings and bridges often surrounded by calm waters and cloudless grey skies. Portraits are specifically excluded from the site "unless the exhibit an artistic approach".
I have so far posted two images. The first was a study of a woman finely dressed in steampunk vintage clothing at an event at Papplewick Pumping Station. Near the end of the closing day of the event, together with two others, she proceeded to climb onto the coal heap and play apparently delighting in getting dirty. I posted this image and it received two likes but disappeared on the second day. Apparently this had been removed by the curators but no reason was given. Was it removed for not being classed as fine art or for getting insufficient support?
The second image I posted was a study of a small part of the Knife Angel. This sculpture was made from knives handed in a Police Weapon Amnesties and attracted a lot of interest in the three weeks it was outside Derby Cathedral. This image has been on the Facebook page now for a little over 24hrs and has received 5 likes. I will watch with interest to see how long it remains on the page.
This experience raises two issues. Are these two image worthy of being categorised as examples of Fine Art Photography? And why am I still so obsessed with how many likes my posted images receive?
Fine Art Photographs show subject matter in a way that originally only existed in the mind of the images creator using captured images processed using software. In both the images above I initially processed them as colour images but saw the potential for them to become more striking in high contrast monochrome, more closely cropped and framed than the originals. Is this sequence good enough to qualify as "fine art" or is it necessary to have a vision of an end product before the initial captures. I feel a need to get clarification on this point.
I am quite well aware that there will be a spectrum of quality going from poor examples of fine art photographs to high quality examples and am quite happy for these two images to be placed lower down on the scale.
On the subject of seeking to peer review my images by posting them on sites like this I am more clear. True artists produce work that they themselves believe have merit and do not need or seek the praise of others. I have not even come close to this state of mind and am still craving the recognition that comes from Facebook Likes. Maybe when I am further along my journey towards the goal of visual literacy I will be less dependant on likes.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Post 31- "To share or not to share that is the question"
"To share or not to share that is the question"
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the 30 posts in my blog over the past 11 months but until recently had not made them public.
The act of writing has been an end in itself as it has forced me to take stock of my progress on the journey towards some level of visual literacy. It has also enabled me to record my excitement at discovering new methods and approaches to photography.
During a recent photo field trip to Leicester Dave Vowles, Barrie Upton and myself got talking about the works of art on display at the New Walk Museum and I discovered similarities in the way Dave and I interpreted the works. We got talking about my blog and Dave said he would be interested in reading it. I sent him the link.
Since then we have exchanged numerous emails on the comments he has added to my blog posts. This process has enabled both of us to gain an appreciation of the views we share and discus the areas where our approaches are different.
This process has been very interesting and has made the whole process of blogging more educational.
Thank you Dave! I have thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges and learned a lot.
I intend to share my blog more widely but have yet to decide whether to cherry pick friends I think will take it seriously or broadcast its existence more widely among fellow camera club members.
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the 30 posts in my blog over the past 11 months but until recently had not made them public.
The act of writing has been an end in itself as it has forced me to take stock of my progress on the journey towards some level of visual literacy. It has also enabled me to record my excitement at discovering new methods and approaches to photography.
During a recent photo field trip to Leicester Dave Vowles, Barrie Upton and myself got talking about the works of art on display at the New Walk Museum and I discovered similarities in the way Dave and I interpreted the works. We got talking about my blog and Dave said he would be interested in reading it. I sent him the link.
Since then we have exchanged numerous emails on the comments he has added to my blog posts. This process has enabled both of us to gain an appreciation of the views we share and discus the areas where our approaches are different.
This process has been very interesting and has made the whole process of blogging more educational.
Thank you Dave! I have thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges and learned a lot.
I intend to share my blog more widely but have yet to decide whether to cherry pick friends I think will take it seriously or broadcast its existence more widely among fellow camera club members.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Post 30- Fine Art Photography???
Thanks to a comment on this blog by good friend Dave Vowles I had cause to look up an article on Fine Art Photography (FAP).
The article defined FAP as the creation of an image which represents something that exists only in the photographers mind. I like this definition as it seems to give free range to use my imagination to envision images and then attempt to create images. So HERE WE GO! The Sky is the limit.
It did not exist anywhere else but in my imagination before I created the images so it fits the definition. But is it Fine Art??????
I leave that decision to you Dear Reader.
The article defined FAP as the creation of an image which represents something that exists only in the photographers mind. I like this definition as it seems to give free range to use my imagination to envision images and then attempt to create images. So HERE WE GO! The Sky is the limit.
It did not exist anywhere else but in my imagination before I created the images so it fits the definition. But is it Fine Art??????
I leave that decision to you Dear Reader.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Post 29- Photographic Recycling
I have been unable to get out of the house much this week because Moy has been unwell with a serious cold. Despite this I have, this week, created more images than usual using the textured overlay techniques explained by Heather Burns at last weeks Ockbrook Photo Club.
I have found that I already have, on my computer hard drive, a massive number of images suitable to be combined into composite images. I have not needed to take any new photos to create these new images. This is truly a case of Photographic recycling.
Today being Armistice Day I have created a composite of two images, both taken 4 years ago. I have combined an image taken at the National Memorial Arboretum with one of poppies taken in Chellaston to produce what I hope is an image fitting of this significant day of memorial.
I am thrilled that Heather Burns has "Liked" this image on Facebook. She has also agreed to my Friend request and offered support should I request it.
I have found that I already have, on my computer hard drive, a massive number of images suitable to be combined into composite images. I have not needed to take any new photos to create these new images. This is truly a case of Photographic recycling.
Today being Armistice Day I have created a composite of two images, both taken 4 years ago. I have combined an image taken at the National Memorial Arboretum with one of poppies taken in Chellaston to produce what I hope is an image fitting of this significant day of memorial.
I am thrilled that Heather Burns has "Liked" this image on Facebook. She has also agreed to my Friend request and offered support should I request it.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Post 28- Textured Overlays and Composite Images
Last week at Ockbrook Photo Club we had a talk from Heather Burns. Heather is an image maker who uses blending techniques in Photoshop to produce composite images that defy description. She is entirely self taught.
She is very modest about her skills but the creativity she demonstrates in her work is of the very highest order. She started out photographing musicians and many of her images have been used on album and CD covers and it is here that she started to build her Photoshop skills. Her talent was further developed and refined as part of the mentoring programme in the Guild of Photographers and as part of the Guild has received two Master Craftsmen Awards.
She believes that the only limit to the scope of these technique is the image makers imagination.
I was so impressed with the basic simplicity of the technique that I have been using it to produce simple, two layer, effects, some of which I have shown below.
Although I have mastered the basic techniques it remains to be seen if I can develop additional skills and use these and my imagination to produce more complex works.
I have been playing with these techniques for a couple of days and am now able to add new elements to the images. I am quite pleased with the results.
She is very modest about her skills but the creativity she demonstrates in her work is of the very highest order. She started out photographing musicians and many of her images have been used on album and CD covers and it is here that she started to build her Photoshop skills. Her talent was further developed and refined as part of the mentoring programme in the Guild of Photographers and as part of the Guild has received two Master Craftsmen Awards.
She believes that the only limit to the scope of these technique is the image makers imagination.
I was so impressed with the basic simplicity of the technique that I have been using it to produce simple, two layer, effects, some of which I have shown below.
Although I have mastered the basic techniques it remains to be seen if I can develop additional skills and use these and my imagination to produce more complex works.
I have been playing with these techniques for a couple of days and am now able to add new elements to the images. I am quite pleased with the results.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Post 27- A Very Different type of Street Photography
I am always looking for photographers who's work catches my eye. Moy discovered an ICM (intentional camera movement) specialist called Alex Fredricksen on SheClicks Facebook group. Her work represents a really different approach to "street" photography.
Alex Fredericksen is based in Austria and creates "street scenes" where the human subjects are blurred to such an extent that they are barely recognisable. These abstract images seem to combine slow shutter speeds with ICM and I am determined to imitate the effect.
We both had a first attempt on a recent visit to Derby Cathedral and I am quite pleased with the early results.
My images are a long way from being good imitations of Alex's work but with careful subject selection and practice I hope to improve. We plan to go to Leicester next week to do street photography so will have a chance to refine our techniques.
During the Leicester day I only spent a few minutes taking slow shutter speed shots and was unable to produce anything better than my first attempts in Derby. Clearly I will need to spend much more time refining this technique.
Alex Fredericksen is based in Austria and creates "street scenes" where the human subjects are blurred to such an extent that they are barely recognisable. These abstract images seem to combine slow shutter speeds with ICM and I am determined to imitate the effect.
We both had a first attempt on a recent visit to Derby Cathedral and I am quite pleased with the early results.
My images are a long way from being good imitations of Alex's work but with careful subject selection and practice I hope to improve. We plan to go to Leicester next week to do street photography so will have a chance to refine our techniques.
During the Leicester day I only spent a few minutes taking slow shutter speed shots and was unable to produce anything better than my first attempts in Derby. Clearly I will need to spend much more time refining this technique.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Post 26- Blurry backgrounds
I have recently been experimenting with blurry backgrounds. Those in the know call this effect Bokeh and rave about it. There is a growing trend to use vintage lenses attached to modern cameras because these lenses are said to produce softer or creamier bokeh. That may be so but I am not keen enough on the effect to invest in such lenses even though they are a fraction of the price of modern lenses.
For months now I have been starting to take pictures of flowers and these lend themselves to being framed so as to accentuate the bokeh. Moy and I went out one late afternoon last week to Darley Park and spent an hour capturing images of dead and dying flowers. A year ago this prospect would have filled me with horror but I actually had quite a good time and produced a number of really nice images. I used my normal zoom lens and am quite pleased with the soft backgrounds the images had. I need more practice to fully understand the bokeh effect but feel I have made a reasonable start.
Here are some of the images.
I also took a few very nice double exposures that are nice and soft.
The Journey continues,
For months now I have been starting to take pictures of flowers and these lend themselves to being framed so as to accentuate the bokeh. Moy and I went out one late afternoon last week to Darley Park and spent an hour capturing images of dead and dying flowers. A year ago this prospect would have filled me with horror but I actually had quite a good time and produced a number of really nice images. I used my normal zoom lens and am quite pleased with the soft backgrounds the images had. I need more practice to fully understand the bokeh effect but feel I have made a reasonable start.
Here are some of the images.
I also took a few very nice double exposures that are nice and soft.
The Journey continues,
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Post 25- Waterworlds
We are just coming to the end of an excellent holiday on The Wirral. I have taken lots of snaps of the places we have visited but nothing that would qualify as arresting!
Yesterday was spent at Chester Zoo and I took loads of images of the animals, birds and butterflies. Our last trip was to see the Tigers. We reached this after a route march from one end of the zoo to the other to get to Tiger World just as closing time was approaching.
I got three great shots of the only tiger that was out and about.
The Tiger was inside an enclosure and we were able to see it through a glass window the bottom third of which was a water pool. The wind was causing the water to splash up against the glass and the late afternoon sun was shining strongly and out popped a whole New World!!!
The images were dancing and the Peaks rising and falling. Dancing Waters!
Fabulous.
#whatdoyousee
Yesterday was spent at Chester Zoo and I took loads of images of the animals, birds and butterflies. Our last trip was to see the Tigers. We reached this after a route march from one end of the zoo to the other to get to Tiger World just as closing time was approaching.
I got three great shots of the only tiger that was out and about.
The Tiger was inside an enclosure and we were able to see it through a glass window the bottom third of which was a water pool. The wind was causing the water to splash up against the glass and the late afternoon sun was shining strongly and out popped a whole New World!!!
The images were dancing and the Peaks rising and falling. Dancing Waters!
Fabulous.
#whatdoyousee
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Post 24- Taking pictures in my Pyjamas
Around sunrise last Thursday I got up to make tea and noticed it had been raining overnight. Droplets of water were hanging from the garden chairs and from the washing line. I knew the sun would soon be reaching the back garden so got my camera and went out to try and get some interesting shots. I was still in my pyjamas. I took dozens of shots as the sun was rising.
I have been wanting to take shots which show the Bokeh effect in out of focus light spots and found that the washing line droplets were ideal subject. I am very pleased with the resulting images which I have stacked in Photoshop.
I have been wanting to take shots which show the Bokeh effect in out of focus light spots and found that the washing line droplets were ideal subject. I am very pleased with the resulting images which I have stacked in Photoshop.
The images of droplets on the garden chairs were very different but worth keeping.
Post 23- Low Key
We went out to Felley Priory this week and found we were a few weeks too late for the flowers to be looking their best. Moy, however, took some wonderful low key pics and I am determined better to understand how to take this type of image. Moy learned the basics from fellow Ockbrook Photo Club Mick Govan and added her own magic touch.
I am very pleased with my first attempt but have a lot to learn before I match Moy's quality. This is it!
Typically I thought I would have a go to see if I could imitate the Low Key effect in Photoshop using layer masks and am quite pleased with the effects. They are not truly Low Key but I like them. Here they are.
I really must work hard to produce this very dramatic style in camera. A new project??
I am very pleased with my first attempt but have a lot to learn before I match Moy's quality. This is it!
Typically I thought I would have a go to see if I could imitate the Low Key effect in Photoshop using layer masks and am quite pleased with the effects. They are not truly Low Key but I like them. Here they are.
I really must work hard to produce this very dramatic style in camera. A new project??
Monday, August 26, 2019
Post 22- Spiders and a new genre Macrop
I have become obsessed with Spiders. The garden is full of them and unlike other insects they make good subjects because they remain still for hours at a time. I have really enjoyed just snapping off a few shots and then going inside to select and process the files.
I am very happy with the quality of the images all of which have been captured on a conventional 55-200mm zoom lens. I have been able to crop these images to fill the frame with my subject and still achieve a very good level of detail. At this point I see no compelling reason to buy specialist Macro lenses.
I intend to coin the phrase Macrop Photography to describe this genre.
I am very happy with the quality of the images all of which have been captured on a conventional 55-200mm zoom lens. I have been able to crop these images to fill the frame with my subject and still achieve a very good level of detail. At this point I see no compelling reason to buy specialist Macro lenses.
I intend to coin the phrase Macrop Photography to describe this genre.
I have also produced a more abstract black and white version of one of the images and am very pleased with the resulting image.
Moy read that some people are using big telephoto lenses to take macro shots. All mine are currently taken with a 200mm zoom lens and I am pleased with the results. Maybe I will have a go with our 400mm zoom lens to seek what I can get?
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