The injuries

this is one of many injuries that have occurred throughout this project. 

implementing shadows into my photography

These are two photos of a night session at the canch. in these I've tried to use the shadow as a point of interest and this will be further developed into maybe just using the shadow without the rider and even implement the use of shadows into my portraiture and lifestyle photography 

 this photo is a much longer range shot which i like because it shows the empty ness of the riding scene at this time of the day/night. 

this photo is really close up and has a good focal length created by the twig on the floor. i also like how the lights polluted the head region of the rider and related a oval shape. 

mastering my flash (nissin i40)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vlvv-S2VbE

in this video it explains the pros and cons of the flash and also explains how to use each setting to get the best results

Implementing lines

In these photos I've used a technique where you create a focal point by using a line either being parallel with the horizontal/vertical edge of the photo or as a trail.

In the top image to get used to the technique and as a bit of preproduction. I just simply took a picture of a space we would be utilising for action shots later and tried to alone the red brick wall with the vertical edges. This was a good warm up shot before actually getting stuck in to the shot because it really makes you think about every line.

This is the best action photo I got from this session. Even though the shutter speed wasn't pin point accurate the lighting conditions weren't great. I used the curb as the trail to the focal point and mad e the focus further up the curb where the rider would be doing his trick. Thai technique creates a bit more of a conversation in your head than just a point and shoot documentation type photo. I also used the rule of thirds which pretty much goes without saying for most of my photos. 

snaps from 16th of jan(before snow)

these are a few snaps from saturday nights session at the canch before the snow. the conditions were extremely dark and the temperature was below freezing so there wasn't much photographable riding going on. on both i used flash to give the photos that bit more light so that i captured the moment well. the top photo was a bit of pre production as i was about to film a clip using this space. the second photo was a photo where everyone had gave in on riding and we were about to go home. 

Couple of phone snapshots

these are a few very quick snaps from just an average day riding. personally i think that they both have a good depth and are both composed well. the first one is a more of a landscape photo if anything else with slight lifestyle grates to it. the second photo is a combo between action, lifestyle and first person. 

samyang 8mm fisheye research and tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEJOU0FjDI

in this video the guy, Chris. goes into some of the functions and differences between similar lenses and then get into the key information about the lens. such as, focal lengths and apertures. these can only be changed by the lens itself due to it being manual. this also keep the price of the lens down whilst not hindering the quality.
the biggest change which concerns me is the difference between f/3.5 and f/5.6 begauce the sharpness and contrast differences are dramatically improved and after testing this out for myself i noticed the same results. i think its down to the fact that theres a stop between every aperture setting other than between 3.5 and 5.6.

first flash and fisheye photo session+evaluation

in these photos I'm showing how my first fisheye and mounted flash session went. 

in the first two photos I've gone for action shots and in the second two I've gone for lifestyle photos. 

right the first thing i noticed when using the mounted flash is that you had to be near on perfectly right with time otherwise the flash that I've got wouldn't react as well. another problem i came cross was that i had to mess about with the setting on my flash so that i had the right amount of power for the conditions i was in. this was solved by simply taking multiple test photos in this room to make sure the flash and iso complimented each other well and didn't over expose the subject. however, the main problem and struggle i came across was the focus on the fish eye and to be honest i still don't really have much idea on how to focus it properly or how cows you have to be for it to have maximum affect. as you can tell in the first photo i had no idea on how to focus it and its blurry. in the second photo its slightly more focused but nothing to be really proud of. personally, i think that a good research session on reviews of my lens and how to use my lens to its full potential would be idea and can only help me at this point. 

1/200s, 1600 ISO

                                                   

 1/200s, 1600 ISO

these are the lifestyle photos. in these i did my primary tests where i wanted to see how the flash reacted in this room. however, in these tested i didn't really know how awkward the focal range was. the first photo in these two is my personal favourite because its well exposed and captures the mood perfectly. the second one however, is slightly over exposed and some facial features are lost by how bright the photo is. you can probably tell by the settings that i was still playing about at this point.

the first photo of the two was the decider in what settings i used for the action photos above.  

 1/200s, 3200 ISO

1/125s, 6400 ISO

to conclude, i think that the photos i took where much better than i expected and only practice with make this process less awkward. i also need to research more into the functions and possibilities of my lens. 

canch 23rd december

in these photos i focused on getting majority of action photos as i knew that this would more than likely be our last session before christmas and new years. unfortunately i was right. i chose to get action photos simply because it gave me both something to do and added a good end to the year. 

in these theres a combination of burst/motion and silhouettes

onboard all nighter-mock fmp

these are a few photos from an all nighted i went to a couple of months back. these images were to show the commitment of action sports athletes as we literally rode from 9pm till 9am(with pizza breaks). this also shows how good a session can be with just your friends because the skatepark isn't my favourite tbh and just the plan fact that everyone their i had rode with before made the experience unforgettable. I've focused much on the lifestyle and events of the night rather than the riding. overall, theres 1 action shot. none of these photos use flash and the shutter speed was constantly 60-125 and the action photo was 160, f/3.5-4.5 and iso varied between 6400 and 12800.  

composition techniques(further research)

these are a few techniques I've got from http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/14-composition-techniques-that-will-instantly-improve-your-photos--photo-7978

1. don't try to be perfect-
look at it as an art form, you'll never each the point of complete perfection.
there is such thing as well and badly composed photos.

2. simplicity-
make sure you have a low amount of points of interest.
the shots with fewest points of interest and simplest composition tend to look the most effective.

3. rule of thirds-
divide frame into thirds(vertically and horizontally. this will give 9 sections).
for landscape photography the horizon could be on the lower line and the top of a mountain range for example, be on the top line.
for portrait photography the eyes could be placed on the upper line where the two vertical lines cross the horizontal.

4. landscape composition-
make a decision on what yours shots about. for example, water, mountains, sunset, horizon or rocks in foreground.
make sure theres layers within the image for example, using the rule of thirds make sure one layer has a foreground and background etc. this adds depth and scale to the image.
make sure the focal point is priority.

5. lines-
are used to add drama.
horizontal and vertical lines tend to be strongest when using this technique. curved lines give the photo a more relaxed feel.
using lines as a path way to the focal point of the image add up for great effect. for example, working its way from a bottom corner through the image and up into the opposite back corner.
pathways, railways, rivers, roads are all examples of objects that can be used to create lines.
when working with vertical and horizontal lines make sure the shot is straight!
this can be solved by a spirit level on your camera or post editing software (photoshop).

6. framing-
framing a subject is the basis of a strong composition.
make sure the focal point is to one side because often if you put it in the centre then it look odd.
saying that portraits tend to be most dramatic when the subject is central.
experimentation is key!

7. negative space-
much like making the composition simple this also implements the key aspect of giving the viewer that on or few points of interest.
when photoing a lamp post photograph the sky in the background rather than the sidewalk, road etc.

8. layering-
foreground interest is the easiest way to make layers. for example, using the first candle on a birthday cake as the focal point and the further the candles go the more out of focus they get.

9. symmetry and pattern-
used for powerful architectural photos.
take time to examine the area and notify any patterns or lines of symmetry.
avoid any external distractions that spoil this effect.



  

steps to taking professional photos

http://www.photoventure.com/2014/05/20/10-easy-ways-to-make-your-photos-look-more-professional/

1. lose clutter
keep all shots clean!
remove litter and any other unnecessary objects in your photo.
this is so that the viewer doesn't get distracted.
2. attention to detail
scan eyes around the frame checking for anything thats of centre(thats meant to be central) or horizons thats not level.
cloths ruffled and props placed perfectly.
for still life photos conditions must be perfect, take away damaged petals, foliage etc.
3. lighting
for landscape photographers makes sure suns low so shadows are long and silhouette shots are at their best. when the sun is high the lighting is harsh and shadows are short.
the right light can make huge difference in other types of photography as well.
portraits look best when the lights soft and the conditions are overcast.
you can create light sources by using flashes, studio lights or light guns.
4. remove dust marks
clean sensor and work around each of your photos checking for blur marks and retouch if needed.
5. sharpening and editing
most images look good straight from the camera but 'slightly' boosting the contrast, clarity, brightness, white balance and sharpness.

photography from the london trip

these are the photos from our trip to London in november 

Winter canch photos

In these photos I was aiming to show the struggle of winter riding in the UK. These photos were took roughly between 3-5pm and i purposely didn't use a flash because I feel like a flash would of completely changed what the photos meant. Another thing I aimed to achieve from these photos was to get better and taking lifestyle photos and when it's appropriate.  

In the two above photos I've used the ledge and the puddle as the focal point these photos were basically to set up the scene for this series of photos and the really show just exactly how us riders see the skatepark in winter. 

The top photo I used:

F/3.5 

1/500

ISO 3200 

With the standard 18-135mm lense @ 18mm

I didn't really change much other than the slightly increased the brightness and contrast. 

The bottoms I used:

F/4.5

1/125

ISO 6400

18-135mm @35mm 

Again increased the brightness and contrast slightly. 

Here is the closest I got to getting an action shot in this series of photos. However, an action shot wasn't what I was trying to achieve, I wanted a shot of him just rolling around but as I was just taking photos without directing at all I captured him just as he was setting up. 

The settings I used in this are: 

F/4 

1/250 

ISO 12800

With the 18-135@27mm

I'm not keen on this photo because I had to use a ridiculously high ISO so the quality isn't great but the fact I wanted to steer away from using a flash for these photos, pushed me towards the high ISO. 

Another dumped bike photo however, in this one I really think you can see the meaning behind it as the photo itself looks cold and dark. Which I intended. 

I focused on the colour of my frame as its already a cold colour anyway. 

Settings: 

F/4.5 

1/125

ISO 3200 

18-135@42mm 

In this photo I captured a moment which only riders who go to the canch will know. The time where it's to dark to ride and your waiting for the lights to turn on. 

I messed around abit with the settings on this photo just to simply see how the photo would turn out so excuse the odd settings, it was extreamly dark: 

F/3.5 

1/8

ISO 12800

18-135@18mm

In this photo I admit I've used more editing techniques than I'd of liked to but I was simply doing it for experimental purposes. I cropped off a scooter rider which was on the far right side of the photo and used a warm filter to see just how warm I could make it before it started to look tacky. 

In the photo itself I've captured two skaters talking whilst riding in the near dark. 

Settings although they don't seem it: 

F/4.5

1/200

ISO 12800 

18-135@35mm

In these two I've shown the contrast between a bright and dark focal point as in the first one I've shown that at that darkness of day the skater isn't very defined. so if I again resort back to using photoshop selecting the skater and brightening and lowering the contrast slightly you can see him much better and really show off the focal point. 

Top settings:

F/4.5

1/500

ISO 6400 

18-135@35mm

Bottom settings:

We're exactly the same other than ISO was at 3200

In this photo I wanted to capture a landscape essc lifestyle photo. Again capturing the moment that we are all waiting for the lights to turn on. Therefore, the ISO is high and the quality isn't the best. 

Settings:

F/4.5 

1/80 

ISO 12800 

18-135@42mm