Exercise 18: How Space Changes with Light

For this exercise I decided to photograph our conservatory and kitchen as they were available to me at all times and I knew that there was an interesting play of light on them as the day progressed. The photographs were taken over a period of three days. The first shots of the conservatory were taken from the same camera position to see how the light changed during the day.


This first shot was taken at 8.10 in the morning with the sun coming from the left.









The second one on the left below was taken a little later at 8.40 and although there is not much change in the light in the conservatory the garden behind it is now lit by the sun coming from the left. The third shot is about half an hour later and now the sun has gone off the garden but it is a warmer light in the conservatory.




The fourth shot on the left below is taken at 10.45 and the sun is now higher and lighting up the wall on the right of the conservatory. There are also interesting patches of light on the garden. The final shot below right was taken at 3.00 pm on a different day with the sun now coming from the right as it was getting low in the sky. The chair on the left hand side of the room is now catching the light but I had expected there to be a more noticeable difference. I perhaps left it until too late in the day.

For the next shots of the conservatory I used different view points to capitalise on the changing patterns of light. This picture is taken from outside looking into the conservatory at 9.20 in the morning. I opened the door and used a polarising filter to cut out some of the reflections.









The following four shots are all taken at 1045 in the morning when the light was at its most interesting.


In the picture above left I was trying to focus on the light and shadows in the corner of the room but it was not as interesting as I had hoped. By contrast the picture on the bottom right shows much more interest. I like the shot above right. I like the angle that I have used and find the light and shadows on the wall interesting.

The shot above was taken looking back into the conservatory at 6.20 in the evening when I had put the lights on. It is a view of the house that I particularly enjoy especially at Christmas when we have a Christmas Tree in here.

This next series of pictures shows the changing patterns of light in the kitchen in the morning when the sun creates interesting light and shadow. The first picture on the left was taken at 8.10 as were the two below but from a different viewpoint.

The next two pictures, below were taken at 8.50 and the one on the left shows how the sun is higher in the sky and has moved round.

At 10.50 below there are again different light and shade patterns.

Exercise 17: The User's Point of View

For these first shots for this exercise I decided to try out the idea suggested in the course notes and photograph a golf course from the perspective of a golfer teeing off. Actually I felt that if I took the shot from the perspective of the golfer I would finish up with an eye level landscape shot down the fairway so I varied it slightly. When my friend Steve (he with the hair and shorts and yes he is still wearing them in November!!!) and I play we stand behind each other to help sight the ball for the player and I thought that it would make it a more interesting shot to take it from that person's perspective.

For the next two shots I thought, although not quite fulfilling the brief, it would be fun to take a couple of ground level shots to give a different perspective.

This shot is taken in our lounge at eye level sitting on one of our sofas and shows the room from the perspective of someone sitting in that seat.

Exercise 16: Exploring Function

For this exercise I decided to look at the office of a friend and neighbour of mine who runs a Tree Surgeon business. His office needs to have the following features:

• space for John to work in peace and quiet;
• space for John and his brother/partner to work together and also for Sharon the accountant who comes in once a week;
• space for filing;
• some storage space;
• toilet and facility for making drinks etc;
• heating.

In many ways the property meets these needs although it is a small industrial unit designed for use as a workshop but adapted by John to use as an office. Consequently one wall in the outer office is made of a rolled shutter which is not ideal and heating is minimal as it is designed for people being active. There is however the flexibility to have an inner office (John's preserve for quiet work) and a larger outer office/workshop where Jim, when he is in the office, Sharon and occasionally John are able to work together. The property does have a toilet facility and a small kitchen.

In the pictures below I have tried to show both inner and outer office. The first larger image shows John working in the inner office and both he and the room are pleasingly lit with light coming through the window in front of him. I have been able to show the filing cabinet and drawing board behind him. The outer office can be seen behind him.The shot below shows both John and Jim at work in the outer office.

Research for Buildings and Spaces.

I began my research for this part of the unit by looking in magazines ans colour supplemnets and include three here.

This fist image is of a group of weavers in the Dessau School of the Bauhaus in 1927 in an article looking at why we never hear about the women who studied there.








The image on the left below is taken from a food article by Jay Ray and shows the Cafe Below at St Mary-Le-Bow, London. The picture is by Antonio Olmaos. The one on the right is an annotated phtograph of the studio of Textile Designer Neisha Crosland in an article entitled My Space. It is taken by Katherine Rose.

This image 'Take Shelter' is from John Byford's exhibition A Daily Dose at the Skegness SEAS International Festival. I have included it because these beach huts are on the Lincolnshire coast not far from us and I like the sky and the light.






I have included this iconic Beatles Album cover by Angus McBean parlty because it is so famous and also because I like the unusual composition looking up the stairwell.

The image on the left below of the factory floor at Siemens Karlsruhe by Andreas Gursky taken in 1990 because it is so detailed but the thought of working somewhere like this fills me with horror! On the right below though is a really horrific image of Kosevo Hospital, Sarajevo taken in 1993. Despite its bleakness I love the shadows cast by the sun coming through the window.

The photo on the left below is of the public baths in Paris taken in the 1850s by Henri Le Secq. The man in the water must have psoed stock still to prevent his being blurred beyond recognition. The picutre belo right is by Luigi Ghirri and entitled Capri.

Below left is a photo of the Bolshoi Ballet School by Cornell Capa in 1958. On the right is a picture entitled A Sea of Steps by Frederick H. Evans in 1903 taken in Wells Cathedral chapter house. The shapes and the enticing view through the doorway please me.

In his work, On Reading, Andre Kertesz features many buildings and man-made spaces. I love all of them and have selected three to show here.

The image below left is of the old station clock in the restaurant in the Musee D'Orsay. I love this unusual view and by the side of it I have included my own image taken in February 2008. I have framed and cropped mine in order to fram the Sacre Cour in the distance.

I enjoy modern architecture and have included three examples here. Unfortunately I was unable to find the names of the photographers from the internet.

I also love cathedrals and have looked at many pictures on the internet and have included these two. On the left is an unusual fisheye view that has been HDRed of Salisbury Cathedral and on the right an image from Seville Cathedral which I have visited. Again I could find no photographers to attribute to these two photographs.

Pollenca Market, Mallorca

At the end of October I was fortunate enough to go for a week's holiday to Mallorca. On the Sunday morning we visited Pollenca market at the north of the island and in the foothills of the Tramantuna mountains. I used the opportunity to practice my skills at taking photographs of people unaware. I include a selection here.

In the first shot on the left this stallholder is busy carving some locally cured ham for a customer. I love the second image of the old men of the town sitting outside the cafe putting the world to rights.

The lady on the left (English judging by the book) enjoys reading in the sun whilst the guitarist on the right was entertaining visitors at the top of the Calvary steps.

The gentleman on the left enjoys his pipe whilst browsing the produce. I love the picture on the right where this stallholder is checking the melon to see if it is ripe enough for his customer.

Below two stallholders in different poses. The lady appears to have a brief respite for a moment whilst the olive man on the right is serving a customer.