Grave Thoughts

This is a self portrait continuing on from my experiments with slow

shutter speed and tilt lens. I put camera (Canon 10D) on tripod.

Camera fitted with Mir 26b 3.5/45 medium format lens and Arax tilt

adapter. Shutter speed 30 seconds, f3.5, ISO200. I tripped shutter

and wandered over to bench and sat there. No self timer - the

shutter was open as I walked over.

 

Any input/comments - good or bad - would be much appreciated as

always.

 

Thanks

 

Pete

Excellent idea!

Cool, i wouldn't change a thing...

Distinctly creative use of a technical skill you've well honed to express yourself. This is a case where technique enhances expression, emotion, and statement. It's a great idea and it looks really good, from the tonal range and colorization to the great detail in darkness to the punctuations of light beautifully placed to the very effective angular composition.

 

I don't know if you thought about having yourself more blurred than the bench and what's behind you or how possible that would even be, but I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on such a thing. That occurred to me only after staying with this image for a while and experiencing all it has to offer. It was not at all an initial reaction. It's more the wonderings of a photographer than any kind of viewer criticism.

Brian, Nik, Fred - thank you very much for the words of encouragement - I'm enjoying this journey of discovery, and it's really helpful knowing that some of these images work for other people and not just for me.

 

Fred, your detailed input is much appreciated as ever. I may be able to make me more blurry than the bench - it depends on how I can alter the plane of focus. One option I guess would be for me to move about a bit during the exposure - so then I would have the bench behind me sharp, but me motion blurred. For this image I deliberately sat as still as I could for the 20 seconds or so that I was on the bench.

 

The lights in the background were a fortunate accident - a taxi had just picked some people up from Stanmer House and drove around the back of the church just a couple of seconds after I had plonked my butt on the bench! The picture next to this one in my portfolio is of me lying down on the bench - this time no lights in the background, but it still works well I think.

 

I learned something yesterday - well a couple of things in fact - about shooting in almost pitch darkness. The best shots are those where I pushed the histogram to the right (as is so often discussed here). And there were a couple of ways to do this. One was using a very long exposure time (30 seconds as in these shots) at f3.5, ISO 200. And the other was by using a shorter exposure time at ISO800. The short exposure time didn't give me enough time to get in front of the camera and do my ghosty bit. Also there was more noise in the image even with the histogram to the right. The long exposure time of 30 seconds at ISO200 gave me time to do what I wanted to do, and also resulted in an image free from noise. But, it left me with the problem of hot photosites to deal with - so in these images I had to spend a minute or two in post processing removing individual bright spots! I think this effort was well worth it though for the lack of noise it produced. And considering the only illumination - really weak - was from the lights on Stanmer House about 75m away away - it worked out good.

A nice effect I can see that all of your various techniques are beginning to show fruition as you hone and combine several avenues you've been working on. The scene and the composition are strong albeit unconventional. The placement of the stone crosses is great and the parallel lines from the car lights are a nice touch. I love how the tree limbs appear to lurch out from the blur towards the crosses. Interesting how some part of you in lower light areas are less transparent than other parts of you.

 

As far as exposure goes, I find it best to keep the histogram as close to the right side as is practical without clipping the highlights. In terms of noise this gives the better result. Of course for this kind of work the long exposures just means your jog over to the bench is a tad more leisurely.

These are your thought for 2008? a bit gloomy don't you think? ;-)) BUT the result is really interesting. The crosses of what looks a cemetary are doing the connection of the title. Your form on the bench looks like a "prisoner"... and the bench lines on you like stifling you, and your figure in general looks blurred and bizarre.The lights and shadows are adding to the gloomy feeling . Very unusual, unconventional image Pete, but your explanation how you did it is interesting, it looks that your technic is developing.

 

I wish you and your family a happy new year, full of life and positive titles... ;-))!

Coming again to look at it, sorry for the gloomy feeling it is giving me, even a bit ominous... but it realy attract attention, and well done.

Gord, thanks very much for taking the time to add to the comments. It is odd the way some parts of me appear more transparent than other parts. All I can think is that perhaps I wasn't staying perfect still. The light areas (hands and head) look less transparent - I suppose it's to do with the light areas having greater influence on the sensor. Strange!

 

Pnina, thank you for your comments on my gloomy image - I'm glad the glommy feeling has come across! It's strange, but with only a few days left to finish my PhD revisions, I actually feel pretty gloomy and like a prisoner being held up in it. My New Year's resolution is to get it done so I can forget about it! Hopefully 2008 will see some less gloomy pictures from me :))

 

Thanks again Pnina - best wishes.

 

Pete

Thanks Pete for your "promis" for less gloomy images after your Phd...;-)) ( in what field is your Phd?

 

Happy 2008, which is already here.

Totally eerie, a complete gross-out, and an absolute delight in its entirety. I love this because it's so tongue-in-cheek, because its so "up yours" to death, because it's so wonderfully whimsical.

Now, I like this one! It has just enough 'haze' about it to give it the right atmosphere - good work!

 

...Russell

fantastic. great mood......

Very, very cool effect