Beginner Need photographic themed images for course work

shannensdaddy

shannensdaddy

Suspended / Banned
Messages
470
Name
Darren
Edit My Images
No
Hi Everybody
I am a newbie to photography and I have started a course at the local college and I need to
produce a set of images linked by common theme ( 6 images) & (4 images that can show the use of image being manipulated). I am looking for ideas that would be interesting and available to photograph in town , countryside/coastal.
Ideas welcome..


regards
 
Food?

Then you could photograph, food, restaurants, markets etc etc
 
Never though about that , possibly beer would come into it also..
I want to see other peoples think, thanks Andy..
Keep them coming.
 
High street/market then you could have people, buildings, shops
 
Here's my recommendation:
Don't rely on other people's ideas when it comes to your photography.
A small portion of being a photographer is how to technically operate a camera, and process the images etc.
The more important part is being able to think imaginatively.
This is the only way your own style will form and grow.

I'm not saying this to be harsh (apologies if that's the way it sounds!), but anyone with a camera can produce a set of images,
but the stand out images are from those with a good "eye" and imagination to see the shot.
Start as you mean to go on.


P.S. I was a medical photographer for many years, and I didn't need to use my imagination for that, it was purely standard representation, boring.
When I started "normal" photography my imagination took a while to develop, in fact, it's still doing so.
 
trying to find my feet on this..Just a little worried how to group images together to make them interesting.
 
shannensdaddy said:
trying to find my feet on this..Just a little worried how to group images together to make them interesting.
Click to expand...
This is a common dilemma, and it's because you're starting at the wrong end I'm afraid. Just like lots of things in life, it's about preparation.

Start with a concept, shoot, develop concept, refine results to illustrate the concept. You can't take a bunch of random images and just hope that you'll find a concept to tie them together.

If I said I'd written a load of words and was now looking at how I could organise them into a story to write a novel you'd think I was nuts. You'd expect me to have an outline plot that developed whilst I wrote it.

This isn't helped by the modern photographic myth that your pictures are 50% made sat at the computer. They should be 50% made before you lift the camera to your eye, the processing is the last <10% (unless your concept involves massive amounts of compositing and manipulation)
 
Phil V said:
This is a common dilemma, and it's because you're starting at the wrong end I'm afraid. Just like lots of things in life, it's about preparation.

Start with a concept, shoot, develop concept, refine results to illustrate the concept. You can't take a bunch of random images and just hope that you'll find a concept to tie them together.

If I said I'd written a load of words and was now looking at how I could organise them into a story to write a novel you'd think I was nuts. You'd expect me to have an outline plot that developed whilst I wrote it.

This isn't helped by the modern photographic myth that your pictures are 50% made sat at the computer. They should be 50% made before you lift the camera to your eye, the processing is the last <10% (unless your concept involves massive amounts of compositing and manipulation)
Click to expand...
I agree with this, you could always do as the film makers do and do a storyboard, would give you a good idea of where you want to go.
 
That is why I am asking the question Phil , yes indeed I need the idea to make it happen..I should have stated it clearer I need 6 images straight out of camera and 4 that have been manipulated using photoshop.
Apparently that's the hardest part deciding where to start.
I think that I have already decided that I need to get out and about with my camera and see what takes my fancy.
Time is a limited resource at the moment hence the question.
Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.
 
shannensdaddy said:
That is why I am asking the question Phil , yes indeed I need the idea to make it happen..I should have stated it clearer I need 6 images straight out of camera and 4 that have been manipulated using photoshop.
Apparently that's the hardest part deciding where to start.
I think that I have already decided that I need to get out and about with my camera and see what takes my fancy.
Time is a limited resource at the moment hence the question.
Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.
Click to expand...
Hi Darren
I'm not sure you've fully understood; '6 images straight out of camera' is not a theme, and 'getting out with your camera more' won't help either without a plan.
What you need is an idea or concept to hang your pictures together, otherwise taking another 100 images isn't going to help, it's a symptom of seeing the 'photography' as an end in itself rather than a means to an end :).

How about:
Plants - large and small (could cover trees in the landscape down to macro)
Local retailers (shop fronts, details, repeating patterns, headshots, environmental portraiture)
Local leisure opportunities (environments, architecture, details, headshots, environmental portraiture)
Local wildlife (mammals / birds / mini beasts)
Local business (remnants of dead industries, shiny new retail parks, business parks)
Family (yours or someone else's - environmental portraits, headshots)
Neighbours pets (action or portraits)
The bus stop / train station (stranger portraits)

As you can see, you can make the set from a very similar bunch of images or a very diverse set - depending what skills you have / want to improve/ exercise
 
I teach a photography class for beginners. The first shooting task I set each new class is: take a series of shots of a fork. The idea is to get them thinking about how to depict this, to get them thinking. Do I mean a dinner fork? A garden fork? A fork in the road? I smile enigmatically, and say: it's up to you.

Take a mundane object and see how you can depict it in different ways.
 
Phil V said:
This isn't helped by the modern photographic myth that your pictures are 50% made sat at the computer. They should be 50% made before you lift the camera to your eye, the processing is the last <10% (unless your concept involves massive amounts of compositing and manipulation)
Click to expand...

For some of my Still life stuff, I'd say that they're probably 50% in my head before even starting, maybe another 30% in sourcing props or building sets, 5% in the arranging of the set and 10% in playing with the lighting until its correct. That leaves (if my maths is right) 5% to cover actually exposing the shot correctly and any post-processing that may be needed to get the image in my head out onto paper/canvas.

dizidav said:
you could always do as the film makers do and do a storyboard, would give you a good idea of where you want to go.
Click to expand...

Strange that you say that, because on still life stuff I pretty much start one step before that, and begin by writing myself a "back story" for the eventual image, and THEN i'll sketch out a couple of "key frames" that would be in a storyboard of that back-story. Eventually I'll take one of those key-frames, and (hopefully, and occasionally) turn that into my eventual finished piece. The entire process can take months from getting the idea to turning out the image - by far the longest part being the sourcing of props and building of sets - whereas the photography is almost an anti-climactic matter of a couple of minutes at the end of a day or so of faffing with the props and lighting.
 
:agree: In anything other than a fun day out, I start with a Plan, (The big Yin's back story), sheet of paper with a rough idea of what I'm going to do, if you go without some sort of plan, you will probably not get anything useable.
 
Thanks Guys " I love it when a plan comes together "
I have images that I want to take but its finding the common ground.
 
shannensdaddy said:
Thanks Guys " I love it when a plan comes together "
I have images that I want to take but its finding the common ground.
Click to expand...
But that's the point of what has been said. If there is a common ground it will be known to you before you start. You can't take random images and make up a common ground afterwards. It will seem fake, because it is.

Apologies if that isn't how you meant it, but it's how it came across to me.
 
shannensdaddy said:
Thanks Guys " I love it when a plan comes together "
I have images that I want to take but its finding the common ground.
Click to expand...
Then stick those 'images you want to take' in your creative back pocket, and get on with the task you've been set. Starting with a common ground. :D

This is about channelling your creativity, it's about the process, it's not about you having 'some ideas for a nice picture', the process is designed to put some discipline into your work. If you fudge your way through this first challenge, how do you think this will play out with the next one, and the next.

You're being taught 'mirror signal manoeuvre' , and you're trying to just pull out anyway thinking you can get away with it. You might... this time. But even if you succeed you're setting yourself up to fail in the future.

There'll be time in your life for all your ideas, until they're overwritten with better ones.
 
Last edited:
I am asking for advice before hand, I done to have to submit images until much later on in the course. I do not intend to fudge my way along Phil.
I have ideas and subject matter that I am interested in learning to do and am just asking for ideas from more experienced people.
 
shannensdaddy said:
I am asking for advice before hand, I done to have to submit images until much later on in the course. I do not intend to fudge my way along Phil.
I have ideas and subject matter that I am interested in learning to do and am just asking for ideas from more experienced people.
Click to expand...
If you give us more info about where you're at and your thinking Darren, I'm sure you'll get some more specific relevant advice.

When we have little to go on, we pick up on phrases and see things you possibly didn't mean.

What's your theme, what ideas do you have, what are you short of?
 
I am interested in taking some images of derelict building hopefully in the area where I live and also I am looking to take some of old tools/workshops man caves.
Natural light images with mellow colours, that tell a story.
I am only a beginner but am keen to learn and enjoy what i,m doing also.
Any help is appreciated.
thanks Phil.
 
Darren, I think you first need to work out why you want to get into photography - do you want to be a landscape photographer, a car photographer, people, fashion etc? Your last post has some interesting ideas but how about really focussing it down - just concentrate on one of those subjects for a coherent set, pick the genre that excites you the most. I'm into shooting landscapes personally and for natural light pictures with mellow colours, it's worth taking a look at Lee Acaster, Finn Hopson and Russ Barnes to name a few. Maybe you could do an autumn colour project if you like landscape. It has to be your choice though
 
shannensdaddy said:
I am interested in taking some images of derelict building hopefully in the area where I live and also I am looking to take some of old tools/workshops man caves.
Natural light images with mellow colours, that tell a story.
I am only a beginner but am keen to learn and enjoy what i,m doing also.
Any help is appreciated.
thanks Phil.
Click to expand...
Good starting point. But you've not gone for simple, the
Do you have a tripod? Additional lighting?
There's some interesting opportunities here, but it's possibly technically challenging. I'm looking forward to seeing what you get up to.
 
Yes Phil I have a tripod and a flash/speedlight ( don,t know hot to use it yet the flash that is ) and I bought a couple of remote triggers and a infa red remote and a corded remote on it way from china. The only resource that i do not have is a lot of is spare time, what with working shifts and trying to visit elderly parent with health issues.
I started this course to force myself to spend more time with my camera.
I don't know about technically challenging but I will cross that bridge one step at a time.
seize the day, life is for living..
 
shannensdaddy said:
Hi Everybody
I am a newbie to photography and I have started a course at the local college and I need to
produce a set of images linked by common theme ( 6 images) & (4 images that can show the use of image being manipulated). I am looking for ideas that would be interesting and available to photograph in town , countryside/coastal.
Ideas welcome..


regards
Click to expand...


IMO your first mistake is just asking for ideas rather than asking for help with how YOU can come up with ideas. The whole point of a course like this is to see how you can create ideas yourself, and therefore help you be more creative... or at least it should be. Asking for ideas from others is not really going to help you be more creative is it? What will happen when there's no one to ask? Also, if I give you a really great idea, is it actually your shot, or are you just doing what I tell you, therefore the creativity is actually coming from me, not you.

My advice (as a professional photographic educator of many years) is to think about the subject deeply. Food. What does it mean to you? What do you see when you think of it? What does food actually DO apart from fuel your body? How do we USE it? Clearly there's more to food than just calories, fatty acids, vitamins etc... it's more than fuel. It's also a social thing... we eat together and make it a social occasion. Food can be ritual in nature... think of how people's diet changes with season and events. You eat different food at Christmas.. you have barbecues in summer... There's other things too.... Ill? Have some chicken soup. What about personal beliefs with food? Meat eating, vegetarianism, even being vegan? Religious significance and how food is seen as something spiritual.. or even lack of food... Lent? Ramadan? I could go on all day long about food because like many professional photographers we become expert in what we shoot, and after a few decades, a good photographer has educated themselves on all the things they've been shooting for all these years. Many people think professional photographers who create good work are clever people... we're not... we've just read a s**t load of stuff about our subjects (or should be doing).

You want ideas for food? Start reading about food. Become an expert in food. Research: That's where ideas come from. Creative people don't sit in a room waiting for the "light bulb" moment. That's a myth. Creativity comes from hard work in researching your subject matter.

Stop thinking VISUALLY as the first port of call, and start thinking about the subject ACADEMICALLY. Good photographers communicate ideas, not make "wow" images to try and impress other photographers. All photography is, is talking with pictures, and if you have nothing to say, then your imagery has no purpose, and will be crap as a result. It all starts with the SUBJECT. Know your subject. Good photographers become expert in their subject matter, not just expert in operating camera equipment. GREAT photographers do both.

Just think about food... what it is, what it does, how we use it. The ideas will come. Trust me.
 
Last edited:
jon ryan said:
The first shooting task I set each new class is: take a series of shots of a fork. The idea is to get them thinking about how to depict this, to get them thinking. Do I mean a dinner fork? A garden fork? A fork in the road? I smile enigmatically, and say: it's up to you.
Take a mundane object and see how you can depict it in different ways.
Click to expand...

Take the concept of 'common ground' - there are quite a few potential interpretations of that, for example:

1. Common ground as in a common or park
2. Estranged couple trying to find some... common ground
3. Political negotiations to find some ... common ground
4. Common ground used in electronics for earthing
5. Various organisations/bands that use that name

That's just from a quick 2 minute Google/look on Wikipedia. That may well not be of interest to you, but the point is to do some research to find something that is and different ways that it can be interpreted/portrayed. Pick a theme, think about different interpretations of that theme and work from there before picking up your camera...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top