Post 10 A new Mentor and a softer approach

We have been taking advantage of the emergence of blossoms on the trees. Following a trip to Shipley Park I was struck by the massive difference in the pictures I took compared to those taken by my wife Moy.

I have decided try and use her as a mentor and when we went to visit National Trust Stoneywell I tried a much softer approach. I found the new approach very challenging but am pleased with the results and will try to refine this approach on future visits. I have initially tried double exposures combining an out of focus base image with a sharper image on top.

Part 9. Ilam Revisited-a different view.

It has been interesting to visit places I have been before and try a fresh approach. We went to National Trust Ilam, a place we have been to many times, and I took a number of very different images using ICM and Double exposure.
Below are a few examples.

I am quite pleased with this set of images which is very different from those taken on previous visits.

Part 8. Rules of Composition.

I had an opportunity to take some pictures in Derbyshire. On two occasions the weather improved for an hour having been very wet and windy for three days. I took my time during a short walk in the Longshaw Estate to take a few shots of the scenery and tried to think of the rules of composition.
I was conscious of the rule of thirds, leading lines and frames when composing the images. Moy, my wife, looked at them and commented that my composition was getting better. I value her opinion as she is much better at this side of image making than I am.
These are some of the images.

We were also able to do some moving water shots at Yorkshire Bridge. Using a slow shutter speed I was able to blur the water in a pleasing way.

All in all, a good few days in Derbyshire.

Post Script.
The Format 19 displays I was able to see very very disappointing. I did not find any of them really "arresting". I am not sure whether they were not very "good" or because my visual literacy is not yet up to an adequate level to understand them.  Only time will tell.
The one thing that is clear to me is that I do not yet have the vocabulary to describe my reaction (or lack of it) to these sets of images and I need to learn more about how to critique images.

Part 7 Learning from others.

I am fortunate to be a member of two photography groups, Ockbrook Photography Club and the"Friends"Facebook Group. Both of them contain members of a wide range of abilities from beginner to professional.
I have very much enjoyed the social interactions and learned a lot from seeing how others approach photographic locations.  It is evident that a group of photographers spending a few hours together at a venue will generate images that are very different from each other. Each one has a different "eye" and a different set of skills and interests and this leads to a wide range of differing interpretations of the subject matter or location.
I had the opportunity to do some portrait work with a few "Friends". I rarely do this type of shot and was able to learn a lot from the others and produce shots I was pleased with. I even managed to use Photoshop to add some cherry blossom to one of the images.

Both Clubs have monthly challenges designed to expand the range of subjects and situations we are asked to capture. This is an excellent way of expanding my skills by taking me outside of my "comfort zone". Google and You Tube are  invaluable resources here.
Living in Derby I am fortunate enough to be able to attend the "Format Festival" which, on an annual basis, brings together photographers from all over the world for Exhibitions and Seminars. I will approach Format 19 with renewed enthusiasm for gaining an appreciation of the "art of photography" rather than concentrating on purely representational images. The event starts in 10 days time so I am looking forward to it. I hope to gain inspiration from the events and displays.