The Photographic Perspective - Issue 2

Issue

002

COLOUR

March 2019

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Since last issue Max has started exploring the worlds of

medium format and digital photography armed with a Nikon D3500 in one hand and an (incredibly stylish) Agfa Synchro Box in the other.

Jamie has begun to experiment with filters as well as various editing software such as Adobe Lightroom. He shoots with a Nikon D3400 and his favourite subjects include people, architecture and urban landscapes.

And we have an article from our new writer

Eleanor Robyn about the importance of colour on page 10.

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Welcome

Welcome back to another issue of The

Photographic Perspective! The theme of this issue takes us back to the late 19th century

when Gabriel Lippmann perfected a method of colour photography. This issue will explore the use of colour in photography. We looked back at how our first issue and spent a whole six months working out how we could improve future issues. After our lengthy

review, we decided to make the magazine more spacious, allowing for larger photos which flow with the articles. Let us know what you think of how we made Issue Two. We're open to feedback (we'd love to publish

a few letters), good or bad. So if there's something that just doesn't look right to you, let us know, we won't be offended! Special thanks to Shanthini Moorthy for her excellent photo on the front cover. We hope you enjoy the magazine.

Max & Jamie @the.photographic.perspective

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spotlight on

JASMINE DICKSON ‘Moody faces and abandoned places’

Contents 2-3

Editorial

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Spotlight on…

5

Featured photos

6-9

A guide to Filters

@j.l.d_photography

10-14 The importance of Colour 15

Film: Cross Processing

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Kayur

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Shanthini Moorthy

Evelyn

Ashdown 5

a guide to

FILTERS

by JAMIE

Many types of camera filters are available, doing different things from warming the colours of your photo to lighten-

ing and darkening. While many similar effects can be put on photos in editing, filters are arguably a great way to enhance your photos. In this article, I will guide you through 3 basic filters.

Where can I buy filters?

If you are lucky enough to live near a film or camera shop, then these are always the best places to buy filters.

The prices listed above are based off Amazon but at sec-

ond hand camera shops they may be much cheaper at these shops. Other technology shops sell filters sometimes but if you can’t find anywhere, you can always resort

to Amazon or eBay. 6

neutral DENSITY Firstly, there are Neutral

you can use it, such as

Density filters, often

blurring people, vehicles or

shortened to ND filters.

smoothing water.

These filters basically make

There are many different

your photos essentially darken the lens so that the camera’s “vision” is

types of Neutral Density Filters, and they come in numbers which roughly double. Smaller ND numbers are less extreme, but the effect becomes stronger as

the numbers grow. So let’s say a photo with no filter would take 1/60 second, a photo with ND 2 (the smallest) would take 1/30, darkened and to correctly expose a photo you need to adjust the aperture or, more frequently, shutter speed.

ND 4 would take 1/15, ND 8

would take roughly 1/8, ND 16 would take roughly 1/4, etc. But the best part is, you don’t have to buy them all as

To be able to take long

separate filters. Variable

shutter speed photos in

filters allow you to adjust

daylight is really useful and

how strong you want the

there are many create ways

darkening effect to be.

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Prices of Neutral Density filters vary massively, with some ranging from £5 to £500. Much of the price varies on the ND

number you are buying and yours lens size, but the majority of ND filters are around £10 to £15 on Amazon.

There are many opportunities from the simple but brilliant Neutral Density filters.

Capturing the

movement of people, crowds, water and vehicles is great. With a very extreme ND number, you can even take a picture of the sun with motion blur.

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polarising FILTERS Light from the sun becomes

way that blends well instead

“polarised” when it travels

of the often over-the-top,

through moisture and

unrealistic effects that can

pollution. The idea of

be added in editing.

polarising filters is to block

Polarising filters also range

the polarised light which often creates reflections and weaker colours and instead keep the “pure” light. With a polarising filters, skies become bluer, nature grows

greener and colours look more contrasted but in a

in price a lot. On a popular lens diameter, they can cost less than £10 whereas on rarer lens sizes they can cost £50 to £60. In conclusion,

polarisers are a handy filter to “purify” photos.

ultraviolet FILTERS UV (ultraviolet) filters are similar to polarising filters in

that they block light, only ultraviolet filters block ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet filter is completely transparent so you see no difference in how your photos look, but ultraviolet light can damage photos on older or film cameras. It is also useful to have because it protects your lens from dust and sand and small amounts of water. They are

very cheap and many are less than £10.

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the importance of

COLOUR It can be argued that colour is the most vital component in a picture.

Why is this? Colours captivate the audience, enchanting and beguiling them under the spell that is the image. Therefore, if you want your image to be attractive, it should be full to the brim with intoxicating colours which will entice and grab the audience’s attention.

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By Eleanor Robyn @erfotography

The colours that form an image create a story, so each image contains a different story, and each story must be inferred.

This is my favourite thing

about photography: each individual who views a picture has a different opinion and interpretation that may never be determined right or wrong. Surely this is a desirable trait of all images: to engage the

audience. I think that this is valuable evidence that proves that ‘a picture paints a

thousand words’ because the audience plays a significant role in determining the meaning behind an image. In my opinion, the intentions of abstract pieces of work are to involve the reader in the process of creating the piece.

There are so many artists that, no matter their genre or area of expertise, manage to include the audience in

the process of their piece through their opinions. This is how the viewer gains the ability to relate to the image on a level of understanding that is unique to others, which is how we are able to have an opinion on anything that we see.

Colours have the spellbinding ability to provoke and convey emotions by telling a story visually rather

than telling one verbally. For instance, if an image is in black and 11

your photographs, but how can we accomplish this demanding task?

Let's find out.

white, it has the capability to create an atmosphere that the viewer can experience and become submerged in a world of photography, which in black and white, will immerse them in a sense of tension.

Furthermore, deliberately employing an enigma. An enigma is the main tool which is meticulously used in order to attract a viewer’s intention.

Colours allow an artist to Therefore, colour is extremely significant in 12

From my personal experience and perspective when taking an image, you consider the composition of the image first before you capture it. For instance, consider the rule of

thirds. As discussed last issue (pp. 6-7), the composition of an image is what makes it so eye catching and appealing, but colours must also be considered. Unlike

composition, we cannot determine and change the colours of our

background in real life, even though it would be extremely helpful to do so, but there is a way that we can achieve this effect: editing software and apps.

There are many different apps at different prices that have an assortment of tools that can be used for different purposes.

Adobe Lightroom is an extremely helpful piece of software that is

packed with the essential tools that every photographer needs to perfect their image and make it truly Instagram worthy, but not everybody has the money. Unfortunately, Lightroom and Photoshop require you to pay a vast sum of money as part of a Creative Cloud subscription with Adobe, but, as mentioned, there are many free apps for your smartphone. Âť

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For instance, PicsArt is a free app available on iOS, Android and Windows app stores.

Personally, I think that this is an extremely helpful app that is equipped with tools equivalent to all of the other expensive editing apps. You have the ability to highlight your images, reduce shadow and apply filters. By tweaking small areas and increasing or decreasing the saturation, the mood and aura that you create can change immensely.

It is completely and solely up to you, the photographer, to design your viewers journey.

But, surely, you would 14

want them to experience a picturesque and awe inspiring image that will influence them to create something similar. Even Picasso said “Good artists copy, great artists steal�. Why not take this advice now and create a colourful work of art that will change your Instagram feed forever.

Allow our world's vast colour palette to engulf your photos and create your own beautiful masterpiece. Where will your next journey with colour take you?

cross PROCESSING

with Max

When we talk about colour

cross process negative film,

in photography, we often

but the colour distortion is

talk about getting bright,

not as wild. The results have

bold or accurate colours.

very washed out colours.

However, the concept of col-

Which colours that get dis-

our is not just about abun-

torted depends on the film

dance of colour: it is also

used. Some films yield bet-

about a shortage of colour.

ter results than others.

One way to achieve this us-

Cross processing is rather

ing film is cross processing.

similar to shooting on 110

Cross processing (also re-

film, as you have very little

ferred to as X-pro) is when

idea what sort of results you

slide film is delberately pro-

will get.

cessed in the the chemicals

The only slide films still

for negative film (ask for C-

widely available are Fuji-

41 processing when you

film's Provia (ISO 100) and

hand in your slides at the

Velvia (ISO 50 & 100) and

lab). You will get a set of

Lomography's Xpro (ISO

negatives back, as the chem-

200). From our findings, the

ical used to develop the film,

Lomography film is

not the film, determines

(unusually) cheaper, but we

whether the results are

advise you to shop around.

slides or negatives. You can 15

Thank you for reading.

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Copyright 2018 The Photographic Perspective, except items labelled otherwise.

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