Holiday photos – for this exercise I have picked out a couple of photos from a work trip to Vegas.
To what extent did you consider the composition, view point and lighting?
I didnt! Haha! This is an example of the kind of record photo (on a mobile phone) that I would take purely to prove I was there. I believe the reason people take their own images rather than buying a postcard is that it is a record of their trip to a certain destination, not a generic one. I like to personalise my record shots by including my own face…. In terms of composition viewpoint and lighting, my only thoughts in such shots are to try and cram as much in the frame as possible and make sure it hasnt burnt out at one end of the spectrum.
Pick out images…that take you right back there. What are the special qualities of these images?
The special qualities of this image for me are still the madness that they have built a mini New York in the middle of the Vegas strip, and the excitement on my little face 😀
To what extent did you consider the composition, view point and lighting?
This photo was taken on my Nikon DSLR with a fisheye lens through the wire netting at the top of Paris Paris (Eiffel tower shaped casino). This photo was all about composition, viewpoint and lighting. I wanted to get up as high as I could in this particular part of the Strip, the view at this point is the most varied and interesting. I wanted to experiment with light trails from the traffic, but, due to limitations at my destination, I could not take a tripod to this had to be handheld. A few of the lights are burnt out but I’m still really happy with this photo.
The composition was dictated to me by the wire netting at the top of the casino. There were only certain points in the mesh which were big enough to wedge a lens through.
In terms of the lighting, I’d timed my visit to capture the last hour of good light in the day to capture the combination of a bit of light in the sky with the building lights below. I wanted the traffic light trails as my main feature to draw the eye through the frame with their sense of movement.
Pick out images…that take you right back there. What are the special qualities of these images?
I find that the images I have to work the hardest for are the ones I remember most clearly. I’d had to hike the length of the Strip from the motel we were staying in, I’d haggled my way upstairs in the casino to get around the fee they usually charge. It was freezing (Id had to go up there early and wait out for the golden hour to kick in), I was avoiding the security man and his gentle hints that Id spent more than my polite amount of time hanging around the viewing platform, my camera bag weighed a ton and was ripping my shoulder and there was some chinese lady trying to wedge her ipad though the wire mesh next to me. At 15 minute intervals the nearby fountains of the Bellagio would set off with their music and light accompaniment and we’d all have a boogie and stay warm.
Mostly I love this photo because of the light trails, I love a good light trail!
(Here is an image of the Bellagio fountains which I took whilst I was waiting for it to get dark – they use fire, water jets and music to make incredible displays)
Creative Arts Today 