The Photography Workshop 002: Tree

[klips]

Hello Forumites!

Welcome to workshop number 002! This one is different to the last one, as is detailed below!

RULES:


- Take photos according to the given assignments.

- Everyone is invited to participate!

- Everyone (even those who don't post photos!) is invited to comment on and critque on all entries. Posting in the workshops means you appreciate constructive criticism. Be respectful.

- Paintovers/Manipulations to demonstrate a point are okay only if you ask the photographer first.

- Post WIPs! This is not a gallery thread and no competetion. Show us what you are working on and share your thoughts. It will be interesting to see everyone's progress.

- After three weeks there's a break of roughly one week in which the next topic is chosen and the opening of the next installment prepared

- This is not a lecturer/teacher based workshop. Community interaction and good communication is vital for the success of the whole thing. Talk, ask, share! Have fun!

- Any suggestion or debate should be taken HERE

- Any kind of manipulation after pressing the shutter should be documented.

Assignment 002: Tree

Your task is to take one tree, and do as much with it as you can. There are, of course, some rules to make this more developmental than just a topic:

- Go find a tree! You must stick with one tree for each batch of photos, preferably the same tree over the three weeks. Make your choice carefully, you will see why.

- You must take at least 5 photos and post them, and each must have a different use of the tree. This means that you cannot go and take 5 bracketed photos of your friend sitting under the tree in different positions, as they are not substantially different. The tree itself does not have to be in the photo, components of it (leaves, fruit, flowers etc), and these do not have to even have a major part in the photo but they must be present and from your tree in some form. In my discussions with Mr Mu we came to the conclusion that the less central the 'tree' itself is in the theme of the photo, potentially the better, because it will be a skillful artistic integration of a theme into a broader concept.

- Try to use as much of the tree as possible. While it might be interesting in one way to have 5 different styles of shot of a leaf, see just how much of it you can use. Remember, there is bark, branches, twigs, fruit, leaves, trunks, shadows and more, and then there are many contexts for most of these as well!

- Manipulation is encouraged in this workshop! Yes, all you photomanipulators out there who have been champing at the bit can go do it ON TWO CONDITIONS! They must be well executed (so no sloppy cutouts/bad integration etc) and all of the components must be yours (so if you want a girl with branches for wings flying off into the sunrise you need to take the girl, the branches and the sunrise).

Now you know what to do, there is one more thing to note before you go out and shoot!

Announcement!

Workshop 003 will be something to with Macro photography, the specifics will be unveiled later. In preparation for this you will need to think about how you are going to it. Here are some of your options:

1. special macro lense
2. tele lense with macro range
3. extension bellows
4. spacer rings
5. teleconverters
6. macro filters

If all of this sounds too hard or expensive, there is a solution! Turn your lens around, and shoot looking into the 'front' with the 'back' at the front. You will have to manually change the aperture on the lens (some are not capable of this, check yours out) then set the shutter speed and away you go! Coming soon will be instructions from Mr. Mu on how to make a macro box (should you so desire) for the workshop.

So, get out there, find your tree and get to it! Remember, have fun and let your creativity run wild! You can even post a photo of your tree by itself separate to your 5 if you think it will help people get an idea of what you are working with

[klips]

<space reserved for links, information and such>

[purplerose]

This is gonna be fun. I have to pick between my 2 fave trees though, lol.

[Cigaro]

Well this will probably move my ass to an ancient tree i have near my city....i hope at least

[ivy'sgrandkid]

wheee treeees

[klips]

Let's do this people! I need to get my act together and find some spare time (although this may not happen this week, as it is exam time) but so do you! Go Mu! Go Robert! Go Raccoon! Go CA!

[someone]

I'm going to try to do this, although I don't know if I'll have the time/be able to find a tree cool enough

but hopefully!

[Alien Ape Star]

Hello, I`m kinda new here so please don`t throw rocks just yet... These photos are not of the same tree, but i thought they look ok-ish to post here. If this is seen as a proof of flagrant ingnorance twoard the rules of this challenge feel free to erase my pics. I promise i will make some photos this weekend according to the rules of the challenge, that is , using the same three.. I already have one in mind, it`s in the Cheeshmeegeew Park in Bucharest..

[purplerose]

Nice ones Alien Ape Star! I'm loving your play on texture and DOF. They are all pretty good except for the last two. I think you could probably redo those shots if you pay attention to blur, overexposure and composition. Can't wait to see images from your final tree!

[purplerose]

Dead??? Where is everyone??


If not, maybe these will get more participants? It's the same tree, but it's not my final tree.

[BumsUnite]

Hey purplerose, i really like the graininess of that black and white, and the depth of field works really well because of the textures in the foreground and background. The textures, and patches of bright white and dark in that photos just seem to compliment each other perfectly giving a balanced composition. I would however maybe crop out the bottom half inch or so of that photo...as the band of blurriness takes away from the focus of the super sharp texture.

As for the color photo, i like where you were going with it, but i do feel like the focal length could have been a bit deeper, allowing the fuzzy grassy moss to be sharper in that image, which would make it a bit more interesting..

I really like this idea, and this week ill definitely be taking out a rebel from the equipment room at school and joining this workshop...if its not too late.

Keep it going!

[LaPalida]

Those are very nice purplerose. I couldn't find a nice tree around my area .

[purplerose]

Yay, people!

Thanx Bum, I was hoping someone would give me a nice crop crit. After I posted, I cropped it around the same area you suggested. For the first one I was working at an f/8 I think a 16 or an 11 would have produced something a little better.

Thanx Palida, I hope you'll be able to use a tree in some way.

[Asadex]

There a shot i made sometimes ago
bwtree

[purplerose]

My final tree. It was a difficult location, so I couldn't get any full tree shots.

3 color and 3 B/W, 35mm film.