Blog exercise 2

Selected masterwork:

Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of a New Man by Salvador Dali (1943)

After the lecture on Surrealism on Thursday, I realised I related more towards the Veristic Surrealist camp, where images of the subconscious are created and their meanings are deciphered through analysis.

My own personal feelings are that artworks are usually created with a purpose; with a story to tell. As the lecture mentioned, they are usually a representation of the link between abstract realities of the human mind and the real forms of the material world.

This masterwork by Dali shows a mother pointing out to her child, the emergence of a "man" from a round object that represents the globe/world. It is interesting to note that the man is emerging from the location where America is on the world map.

My take on this work would be that perhaps Dali was trying to narrate how America was slowly becoming a world superpower by the 1943, especially with the country's involvement and show of military might in World War Two after the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese.

Perhaps the emerging motion of the man, which is similar to the birth of a child, represents how America was beginning to spread its influence all over the world. The hand of the emerging man can be seen to be reaching out towards the European regions.

It is interesting to note, however, that Asia was not represented on the "globe". Perhaps the emerging leg of the man can be interpreted as the extent of American influence towards Asia, which was slow, but with growing significance during that period of time.

Assignment 3 - Focal length, Sensor latitude and Others!

For Asssignment 3, we were instructed to submit photos from 3 categories (Perspective, Zoom and Close up) with regards to focal length, 2 categories (High-key and Low-key) with regards to sensor latitude and a photo which depicts the theme "Symbolic of the Sun".

This particular assignment gave us students a lot more room for self-expression and I really enjoyed the shooting process for this assignment.

1) Perspective

"Endless"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/10), Shutter speed (1/250), ISO 200, 18-70mm (22mm)

Self critique: 7/10

This was taken at Haji Lane, where the alleys seem to lead to "nowhere" in a long straight line. The composition is quite symmetrical, with the straight asphalt road running down the middle. I thought the shadows falling on the road were quite nice. Perhaps the shadows can be enhanced by some photo-shopping to enhance the look.

"Awaiting congregation"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/200), ISO 200, 18-70mm (18mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

This picture was taken inside at a Church at the city area. I thought the uneven shadows caused by the light coming in from the side doors of the church was quite interesting. The stained glass on the right also helps to narrate that the setting and place in which the picture was taken. The row of neatly-arranged chairs also give a "perspective" to this picture.

2) Zoom

"Breakdance"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/16), Shutter speed (2s), ISO 400, 70-300mm (155mm)

Self critique: 6/10

This picture was taken at the Esplanade underpass. I was trying to capture the movement of the dancer but I guess the effect didn't turn out too well. I wanted to capture a "freeze frame" as well, but the lack of lighting prevented me from doing so haha...

3) Close-up

"Which move next?"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.8), Shutter speed (1/60), ISO 640, 70-300mm (180mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

This shot was taken at a corner in Chinatown, where many groups of senior citizens sit down and have a game of Chinese chess with one another. I stood around to observe the people there for quite some time while holding on to my camera, trying to make sure that they were comfortable with a photographer hanging around them.

"What do I do?"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.8), Shutter speed (1/60), ISO 640, 70-300mm (165mm)

Self critique: 8/10

The same subject was captured in this picture, but the positioning of his hand against his forehead and the smile provides a better composition and gives the picture a lighter, more candid mood.

"Bloodless war"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.0), Shutter speed (1/100), ISO 640, 70-300mm (210mm)

Self critique: 9/10

Overall, I was really quite satisfied with this shot. The seemingly elegant posture of the hands also helps to "narrate" the picture.

"Lighting up"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.8), Shutter speed (1/100), ISO 640, 70-300mm (190mm)

Self critique: 8/10

This shot would have been even better if I had managed to capture the lighter and the first puff of smoke haha......

"Pondering"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.8), Shutter speed (1/50), ISO 640, 70-300mm (180mm)

Self critique: 8.5/10

Somehow, I like to shoot portrait shots of senior citizens because their facial features are more pronounced and really help to create a certain nostalgic "feel" about the picture.

4) High-key shots

"Angel"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/40), ISO 400, 18-70mm (65mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

"Gateway"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.0), Shutter speed (1/60), ISO 400, 18-70mm (18mm)

Self critique: 8/10

This picture was taken at the Armenian Church, and the shadows casted on the columns and contours of the Church still managed to provide a rather clear outline of the building structure, despite the picture being overexposed on purpose.

5) Low-key shots

This series of low-key shots were taken at a video exhibit at the Singapore Biennale 2008. The exhibit was placed in one of the rooms at City Hall.

"Proximity"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/40), ISO 640, 18-70mm (65mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

"Reach"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/40), ISO 640, 18-70mm (46mm)

Self critique: 7/10

"Alone in the dark"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/40), ISO 640, 18-70mm (62mm)

Self critique: 8/10

6) Symbolic of the Sun

"Dome"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/8.0), Shutter speed (1/125), ISO 400, 18-70mm (27mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

This is more of a iconic representation of the Sun. It was taken at the entrance of the Singapore History Museum and this picture captures the inside of the dome roof. The round shape captured is meant to be a comparison to the shape of the Sun.

Actually I think this picture resembles the wheel located in the Indian national flag haha...

"Join me!"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/250), ISO 400, 70-300mm (300mm)

Self critique: 8/10

Now, this series of pictures are more symbolic in their representation of the Sun. Think of the Sun and you think of radiance, vibrance and energy. These attributes are actually quite similar to what the Sun possesses, so I decided to head down to the water fountain at Bugis Junction to capture the children who play with the fountain.

"Ouch"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/200), ISO 200, 70-300mm (130mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

"Hands up!"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/400), ISO 400, 70-300mm (300mm)

Self critique: 7/10

Assignment 2B - CNM action

For this assignment, we were required to capture CNM "action shots". We were instructed to sit in for a tutorial class conducted by the CNM department and capture the class in action. The team comprised of myself, Weiye, Zheng Guo, Mabel and Zhiyun. We positioned ourselves at different corners of the classroom in order to capture a better variety of style.

I used mainly a 70-300mm zoom lens to prevent myself from becoming a source of distraction to the class, especially with all the movement around the classroom and the incessant clicking of the camera shutter. Natural and candid actions and expressions could also be captured in this manner as I did not have to go close to my subjects in order to photograph them.

Contrast 2008, a game design competition organised by the CNM department, also provided another opportunity for us to capture more action.

Human subjects after often unpredictable and interaction between them can produce the most interesting scenarios, hence the pictures taken were really more of "capturing the right moment at the right time".

1) NM3217 - Publication Design

"Now that's funny"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/50), ISO 640, 18-70mm (55mm)

Self critique: 6.5/10

The tutorial class itself was pretty light-hearted, and the students were learning how to use the software, Microsoft Publisher, so the tutor, Charlene, was going around to help the students with the software.

There were quite a few amusing situations during the tutorial (as you will see in the following pictures), and this one was one of them, captured just as both tutor and students were laughing.

However, I thought the background was a bit messy and distracting with all the posters on the board, so I can't really say that this is quite a nice photo for the department to use, but at least it captures the lighter moments of a tutorial class, showing that tutorials aren't always boring haha...

"Bemused"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 640, 70-300mm (200mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

I would prefer this picture over the previous one as this depicts a closer interaction between teacher and student, which brings out the elements of care and nurture; important aspects of education..

Through the use of a long (zoom) lens, I was able to capture the candid expressions on the student's face, though the focus of the lens was placed on Charlene. I guess this picture would be good for brochures or flyers for new CNM undergraduates.

"Amused"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 800, 70-300mm (240mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

This is a close-up shot of a student staring into his computer screen, amused by something he sees on-screen. Again, with the use of a long lens, I was able to capture the natural expression on his face..

Although the computer screen that is captured on the bottom left corner seems a little jarring and out of place, I feel it provides continuity and a sense of the space the student is seated in. if I were to crop out the screen, the picture would look rather weird since parts of his head (which help to give a complete picture of his whole head) are also protruding out from behind the screen.

"Concentration"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 800, 70-300mm (210mm)

Self critique: 8/10

This focus of this picture is more on the eyes of the student than anything else, which explains the caption for the picture above.

The presence of the computer screen that is captured at the bottom left corner of the picture again helps the viewer to visualise the space where the student is seated in, and the picture would look slightly odd if I were to crop out the student's mouth (which is partly covered by the screen). The crop would be too abrupt and disrupt the continuity of the photo itself.

"Row of five"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/40), ISO 800, 70-300mm (90mm)

Self critique: 8/10

This picture is more of a abstract representation of a tutorial class in progress. I realised that by squatting down at a certain height and angle I could capture the whole row of students seated in line.

The use of shallow depth-of-field also helps to isolate the side image of the student seated closest to my camera. Jing (my lecturer/tutor) mentioned that the side profile of Asians are not really as sharp and strong as that of Caucasians, so I guess photographers need to make use of lighting effects to enhance the features of Asian portrait shots. Then there's always Photoshop... hahaha

2) Contrast 2008

"Discussion"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/2.2), Shutter speed (1/20), ISO 640, 50mm

Self critique: 6.5/10

"1-1"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/30), ISO 800, 70-300mm (130mm)

Self critique: 7/10

This picture is more of a "capture-the-moment" shot. The subject in the picture was gesturing to his team-mates how they should go about designing the game, and I pressed the shutter button on camera while it was on multi-shot mode.

"Work in progress"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/100), ISO 800, 18-70mm (56mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

The anime-like character on the computer screen was drawn by the girl using nothing but her free hand. I was really impressed by how she managed to create the character with just a few strokes of her stylus, so I decided take a picture of her at work.

The composition turned out quite well and I thought the picture could be used as publicity material for future Contrast competitions or Interactive Media modules.

"Two-face"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/5.6), Shutter speed (1/50), ISO 800, 70-300mm (300mm)

Self critique: 7/10

A picture with a rather interesting composition, especially with the expression on the subject's face, who must have been hard at work and at full attention.

"LOL"

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 800, 70-300mm (145mm)

Self critique: 8/10

A very candid picture with the subject in "all-out" laughter haha... I like the natural "feel" of the picture. Follows the title of my blog banner haha... "It's the candid moments that are special.

Assignment 2A - Aperture and Shutter speed

For Assignment Two, we were instructed to show in our pictures how different aperture sizes and shutter speed can be used to portray different effects.

Larger aperture size would create a shallower depth-of-field while a smaller aperture size would create a deeper depth-of-field. I found out from surfing a local photography forum that the effect of shallow depth-of-field is also known as "bokeh" (apparently derived from a Japanese term).

A fast shutter speed can also help to freeze action, and this is especially crucial sometimes in sports photography in order to show atheletes' expression and action clearly. Slow shutter speed on the other hand, can be used for panning or used on its own to create motion blur.

"When we were young" - Shallow depth-of-field

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.2), Shutter speed (1/100), ISO 200, 18-70mm (35mm)

Self critique: 8/10

I like my pictures to be able to tell a story or depict a certain scenario, and I think the caption of a picture plays an important role in bringing out the "feel" of a picture.

For this picture, a shallow depth-of-field was created by using a larger aperture size. ISO setting was set at a minimum to ensure image quality and a slightly slower shutter speed was used as the picture was taken under the shade of trees.

This picture aims to remind us of how we all, as kids, used to enjoy playing on the swings. Even today, some of us still enjoy the occasional "play-time" on a swing. The swings in this picture have already been in use for quite some time, thus some wear-and-tear can be seen on the swing in focus, representing the "time" (when we were young) which has left us, as young adults.

"Singapore skyline" - Deep depth-of-field

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/22), Shutter speed (15s), ISO 200, 18-70mm (25mm)

Self critique: 7/10

A tripod was used for the creation of this picture. Aperture size was kept at a minimum while the shutter speed was increased by quite a bit to allow the camera sensor to "take in" all the available light in a rather dark environment. The small aperture size also allows for a deeper depth-of-field to keep all the buidings in the skyline in focus.

This picture actually looks a bit like the kind you might find in postcards in Singapore which are made for tourists haha... I must say that it doesn't really have a story to tell, but it does depict the CBD (Central Business District) as a economic "power station" and shows the economic development of Singapore.

"Singapore skyline (II)" - Deep depth-of-field

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/18), Shutter speed (25s), ISO 200, 18-70mm (18mm)

Self critique: 8/10

A tripod was similarly used for the creation of this picture. This picture aims to do the same as the previous picture "Singapore skyline", which is to represent the economic prosperity and wealth of Singapore.

However, the previous picture had the Esplanade Bridge spanning across the picture from the bottom right-hand corner of the picture. This version effectively removes the potential distraction of the Bridge. The clouds and darker sky also provide a better backdrop in which the focus on the buildings can be brought out.

The reflection of the lights off the surface of the water in the Singapore River also help to improve the aesthetic feel of this picture.

"Freekick" - Freeze motion

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 800, 70-300mm (85mm)

Self critique: 7/10

"Freekick (II)" - Freeze motion

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/4.5), Shutter speed (1/80), ISO 800, 70-300mm (85mm)

Self critique: 6.5/10

This series of two pictures attempts to capture the moment at which the football player strikes the ball. "Freekick" depicts the moment just before he strikes the ball, while "Freekick (II)" depicts the moment just after he strikes the ball. This motion of the football player is "frozen" into stages.

I thought the background was a little cluttered for both pictures but unfortunately that's the backdrop of the location where the match was being played, the Padang. I'll see if I can come up with a better idea for the theme of "freeze motion".

"The Merlion" - Motion blur

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/22), Shutter speed (5s), ISO 200, 18-70mm (48mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

At first glance, one may wonder "where is the motion blur being depicted in this picture?". Well, the motion blur is not depicted by the movement of the Merlion in any manner in this picture, but more of the water that comes out from its mouth.

As seen from this picture, the water that comes out from the Merlion's mouth has quite a "soft" feel to it. The water seems to come out as mist rather than as a continuous stream. This effect was acheived mainly by the usage of a long shutter speed, which is compensated by a very small aperture size to prevent overexposure (the lights that were cast on the Merlion were pretty strong).

ISO sensitivity was kept at a minimum to ensure image quality, and it also explains for the longer shutter speed required, since the camera sensor's sensivity towards light is reduced.

"Indon highway" - Motion Blur

Technical specifications:

Aperture (f/22), Shutter speed (20s), ISO 200, 18-70mm (50mm)

Self critique: 7.5/10

This picture was taken from an overhead bridge which spanned across a highway. The motion blur effect depicted in this picture was captured by using a long shutter speed with a conversely smaller aperture size. ISO setting was also set to the minimum to ensure image quality.

The problem faced with taking pictures of this nature was that one can't really control how people drive their cars. So, at least 15 attempts were made to capture a shot in which there were cars travelling on all lanes of the road. A lens hood was also employed to block off the lights which were coming from the street lamps along the road, which could cause lens flare. However, I thought the end-result came out rather well.

I named this picture "Indon Highway" because this picture resembles (to some extent) the state flag of Indonesia hahaha...

Assignment 1 - Subject Elements

Here's my take for Assignment 1, which requires us to produce photos that contain the subject elements of: Shape, Colour, Lines, Texture and Form.

These are the pictures the better ones that I've selected from the many that I have taken, but I think improvements can still be made, especially for "Shape" and "Colour". Perhaps a few photos also straddle between different subject elements, such as the pictures of the pipes and the clock.

I'll do an update once I get the new shots in!

"Starstruck" - Colour

Self critique: 6.5/10

I wanted the capture the different colours of the lucky stars that were kept in the bottle, but I think the reflection of the ceiling lights in the Central Library is kind of distracting.

The white balance of the shot is also a litte off, mainly because of the warm white lights that were used in the Central Library, which created an "orange-yellowish" tinge. Photos taken were stored as JPEG files, so I couldn't really adjust the white balance of the picture. RAW is better lol

The background seems a little cluttered, but I thought the "bokeh" (background blurring) created by the shallow depth of field isolated the bottle pretty well.

"Clockwork" - Shape

Self critique: 7/10

I kind of like this shot. It was taken inside a tutorial room at AS6 in NUS. This picture is a little "controversial" haha... because I envisioned this shot to represent form though some saw it to be a representation of shape rather than form.<

Instead of capturing the shape of the whole clock, I decided to shoot only a portion of the clock, hoping to capture the shadows that were formed by the ceiling lights shining onto it.

I thought the slight "glow" of the rim at the bottom-right corner could quite effectively isolate the clock from the wall behind in order to make the picture seem more three-dimensional, but I guess the lighting wasn't strong enough to create this effect.

Perhaps deepening the shadows using Photoshop would be better, but this was also taken and saved as a JPEG file.

The picture is pretty "zen" though, consisting of minimal colours and simple visual elements, isn't it? hahaha...

"Piping" - Form

Self critique: 7.5/10

I originally envisioned this picture to represent lines, but at the tutorial session it was pointed out that this picture could better represent form instead, even though there is a row of pipes in the picture.

I think the interesting point of this picture would be the lighting condition in which this picture was taken. A flourescent tube light was mounted along the way near the ground at the left of the pipes, therefore it created a "glow" which nicely fell onto one of the four pipes in the picture, effectively highlighting it and isolating it from the other pipes.

The focus point of the camera was then shifted onto the nicely-lit pipe and that's how this shot was taken.

"Ridges" - Line

Self-critique: 8/10

The conceptualisation and process of producing this picture was quite simple. It only involved the use of a chair in a tutorial room in NUS. The chair was turned around so that the back of the chair was exposed.

There were ridges situated at the bottom of the area of the back support, and these ridges were produced in a semi-circular manner. Therefore, this created a nice graduating effect which explains why the lines get longer from top to bottom in the picture.

The chair was also lit by ceiling lights from the top, which also creates a graduation contrast in the shadows casted by the protruding ridges.

"The linings' on the wall" - Line

Self-critique: 7/10

This picture was taken at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. As one can see, the walls near the entrance had textured lines which protruded out, creating an effect of seemingly never-ending lines.

I stood at one end of the wall and aimed my camera towards the far end, hoping to capture the effect of the "never-ending lines" haha... I wanted to use this picture to represent texture, but the line elements in this picture would be quite distracting to clearly represent texture, so I decided with "lines" instead.

"Cat's tail" - Texture

Self critique: 7.5/10

This picture was taken just outside the Arts faculty canteen. There were clusters of this plant type called "Cat's tail" (or something like that) growing in a particular area. It was during the morning period, about 10a.m. when I took this picture so the lighting came from the side.

I envisioned the picture to effectively capture the "bushy" texture of the bristles on the Cat's tail. I had also hoped that the unevenly-lit Cat's Tail would further highlight the texture element of the plant.

During the tutorial session, I realised that the texture element of this picture could be further enhanced by the use of a macro lens perhaps, to focus even closer on the bristles.

"Raindrops" - Texture

Self critique: 9/10

The picture that generated quite a bit of response from the tutorial class hahaha... It was a wet day when I took this picture and the heavy rain forced us to limit ourselves to shooting indoors.

We were at the University Hall when we noticed this bench located at the vehicle drop-off point. Rainwater which was draining off from the external areas of the University Hall was falling onto the bench. The impact of the rainwater on the surface of the bench created this effect of unevenly-shaped and unevenly-sized water droplets.

A work of Man (the building) and Nature (the rain) perhaps? hahaha...