Our introduction to the Sony cameras involved going to a nearby park and working in groups to capture some creative shots. Of course, we went through many rules and safety instructions to make sure everything would go as smoothly and safely as possible.

• Be careful with the equipment
• Do not use it outside of its intended use
• It must be used in a way that is not harmful to anyone
• Any breakage/incidents/loss/thefts should and will be reported to confetti immediately
• Wear masks, sanitize and don’t touch the equipment and then your face
• Be mindful of traffic and in case of emergency, ring 999

I believe that everyone followed these rules and was quite mature and professional. Our group was quite focused on finding things to photograph, but we always kept our masks on, sanitized and didn’t stand too close to one another. So, in terms of safety, we worked quite well. We also shared the camera a lot and made sure that everyone had a chance to take a photo of something. Everyone gave ideas and suggestions, and we had fun thinking of imaginative ways to take photos of the things around us. I think that our group demonstrated a lot of teamwork skills and whilst most of our photos may be slightly blurry or look different from what we wanted, quite a few of them look really good! I am going to include all of them and will comment on the ones that I find particularly interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was one of our more creative ideas for a shot. I suggested that someone take a picture of me whilst I hold up a leaf that covers up my face. I thought that it would look very interesting to have a focus on the leaf being held by the hand and blocking the face from view. We had to find a large enough leaf and ideally, not ripped. Looking back though, having a tear or rip would have been interesting and we could have played around with what parts of the face could be seen. Despite this, I think the photos we did take have a lot of connotations and possible inferences that could be made. For example, the photo makes me think of humanity and the force of nature, and how even though we are in a constant battle, there is a certain beauty that exists when we come together. The leaf, covering my face, could also represent how nature can take away a person’s identity. Because there are so many humans on the planet, and we are continually surrounded and reminded of the nature that is both our salvation and destruction, it can be difficult to capture individuality, and the picture shows – sometimes our sense of self can become lost in it all.

 

 

 

 

We were extremely lucky to find a vodka bottle amidst the leaves and we took advantage of it! We took a picture of it on the ground in the second half, and the result is quite interesting because it is a jarring contrast seeing a bottle of alcohol surrounded by the grass and leaves (nature). The leaves also look a little dead, which could reflect the consequences of entering the world of man and drinking substances like these. It can be viewed as a reminder to remember our roots, and that natural things can be much healthier for our bodies, spirits and minds. We did have a little trouble focusing because it was the beginning and we were still getting accustomed to the camera but in order to get some more of the details of the bottle, we decided to try and get a close-up. We moved the bottle to a nearby bench (and thoroughly sanitized afterwards) and then zoomed in, taking a shot from a lower angle so that the eyes naturally flow from the bottom to the top. The wooden texture of the bench acted as a very fitting background, that in my opinion, matched the bottle exactly, because of the rustic sort of aesthetic that is created, which can be associated with vodka.

 

 

 

 

 

With these, I attempted to take a creative photo using the one-third rule. I recall learning about this rule during secondary, and it is the simple idea that placing the subject in one-third of photo improves the overall effect and makes it more appealing to look at. Unfortunately, I did not achieve the effect that I wanted, because I couldn’t get the camera to focus and it was wonky both times. I was uncomfortable asking the person in the photo to sit on the bench for longer, with the coronavirus situation, and the fact that I still obviously needed some more time to get used to the camera.

 

 

 

For this photo, we wanted to utilise the interesting mask my friend bought in. It turned out ominous and a little unsettling, which is created by the fact that half of his face is covered, and he is hiding behind the tree.

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favourite photos from our group. Someone spotted the lines connecting the houses and took a photo of it, and I think it makes something that’s quite ordinary and mundane look absolutely beautiful. One of the reasons the photo looks so aesthetically appealing is because of the colours – the yellow jumps out and contrasts the blue of the sky, which is a complementary harmony. I also really like the dynamic between the shadowed and bright parts of the image, it points towards the house on the right but simultaneously balances it out. Overall, it puts forward a calming and peaceful effect.

 

 

For this one, we thought it would be nice to try and create a pattern with the leaves on the ground, and last minute, we placed the sanitiser in the centre, which reminds me of the coronavirus and how everything feels so focused towards it.

 

 

 

 

We attempted to recreate those photos of leaves falling around people, but the motion blur spoiled the effect, and I don’t think I was prepared either.

 

 

 

 

I noticed that the leaves hanging down from a particular tree we were standing near, and I attempted to capture something with them near the building in the background. I was trying to play with perspective, but the second one where the silhouette of the branch is framed against the sky is much better in my opinion than the one where the building stood out more. I like the trees on the sides because they add a certain texture which contrasts with the building, and of course the branch in the foreground paired with the negative space of the sky, it all works together quite well, and the blacks, greys and blues give a very soothing effect.

 

 

 

 

We wanted to utilise the houses that could be seen from the park since they had a nice assortment of colours, but I don’t quite like how these particular photos turned out. I think that we could have done something more interesting, especially with the angles, but it was difficult as the houses are directly next to one another and with the trees scattered in front of the gate, there aren’t a lot of creative options to choose from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With these few, I was trying to get some really nice, detailed close-up shots of a particular tree we found which had some rough, almost crumbling sort of bark. The texture caught my eyes, and I was reminded of the lesson we did on 3d layers and lighting in after effects, where we used high res textures as backgrounds. I thought that taking a few would not only be handy and useful for the future but also add some variety to our photos so far. I like the last one the best as a photo, because of the jolt of green provided by the leaf, but I think that the others could be used for artwork and animation, possibly to add to letters, like for a title sequence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is another favourite of mine, I just adore the half and half which is so clearly defined by the line in the middle. The yellow and blue, again, pop out and work well together, and the lamppost that stands in one half is like the finishing touch, creating that disbalance which the picture would be far less interesting without. There is actually asymmetry throughout and not just with the lamp because the windows and roofs are not on the same level. But, this is a subtle asymmetric element that isn’t overshadowed by the lampost but only adds to its charm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This shot is beautiful. The trees and the clouds work together wonderfully, fringing the edges with silhouettes and colour. My favourite part is obviously the moon – seeing it in the sky during light hours has an almost magical quality to it.  It reminds me of aesthetic images on Pinterest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two are my favourite silhouette photos. I chose to capture the purple plant from earlier against the sky, and the shape is quite beautiful, especially dark against the blue sky.