I am conscious that my blog has slipped a little over the last 2 months. Part of this is a feeling of "hitting the wall" in terms of ideas & inspirations, and part of this reflects my current circumstances and lack of free time to go out & about with my camera and see what catches my eye. I also find it quite frustrating doing the outdoor projects, because it doesn't always go to plan. I have recently sold a lot of equipment on Ebay (previous kit & zoom lens) to raise funds for 2 new replacement lenses. One of those is a 135mm prime, which I am looking forward to going out and about with, as I believe a prime lens is the best way to become totally comfortable with focal length and its impact on your photography. I have also constructed 2 DIY lighting setups, using guidance from magazines/ online and thought I would post to share the result from one, even though they are off piste from the study notes.
The lighting effect for the rose was backlit, but falling off towards the edges resulting in a dark outline and fine art look. This was achieved by using a cereal box and filling the back panel with white card so that the rose was backlit, and putting black card around the rest of the box so that the shadows gave the dark outline. Some foil on the front of the camera reflected the light back onto the front of the rose, and a tripod was used for a sharp image with the slower shutter speed. I am pleased with the result, even though it is unoriginal and created by simply following instructions, but the project has definately increased my understanding of the light & its effects on a subject, which I hope to put to good use in the next part of the course on artificial light.
