Ideas please

I am partway through some evening classes at a local college to try to learn about digital photography, and we've just been given some assignments
Yes, I could probably manage on my own, but it would be nice to get some other ideas & inspiration; I wonder if I could ask you for suggestions?
The assignments are

Typology. This is several images of similar subjects combined to produce a pattern of images. Look on google to see the sort of thing.
I must admit I'm not sure where to start with this

Someone wearing a hat

Something on or at the end of a line

Something being opened

For each of those three "you are challenged to tell a story"

I could do something simple like a portrait of someone wearing a hat; or opening a bottle of wine, but I'd like something more interesting or adventurous

As with anything like this, I'm hoping that passing a few ideas around will generate more

Thanks for your help, Zuludog

Re: Ideas please

Good for you wanting to learn about digital photography.

This is purely my personal view of any photographic learning classes, and that is don't bother, you can learn free just as much via YouTube unless you want qualifications to get professional work.

let me explain

Take all of your great painter in the past, they taught themselves and developed their own style. Now their paintings are worth millions of pounds and everyone has heard of them. What about those that try and copy? never heard of and their paintings worth zero in comparison.

Being self taught with digital photography is the same,else you are only copying what others in previous classes have done before.


In my opinion the best way to learn is to practise and discover your own mistakes.

Where to go for inspiration?

Open your eyes there are photos everywhere- shop windows- bill boards- on buses- magazines- internet , you can't go anywhere without seeing a picture somewhere.

What I found out is not to look at the content but how the picture was taken,was it a low down or overhead shot, what was in the picture and where was it positioned, were there any "props" to make it more interesting- was it close up or distant, was it at an angle ( loads of car photos use this type of shot). How was the lighting set up and a thousand other things.

Yes I have made and still do make huge cockups, every photographer does but most won't admit it.

As for taking photos it depends on the type of camera and choosing the right one can be a minefield. Every photographer has their own ideas, but that is what suits them and may not suit you.

Classes are ok I suppose for basics but the only real way is to go and shoot- shoot- shoot and be self critical on your results

I try and avoid anything with an " ology" attached to it

Re: Ideas please

Quote "Typology. This is several images of similar subjects combined to produce a pattern of images " unquote

This does not make sense. Are they asking for individual photos, or all items on one photo, or even super imposing from all onto one? or even a montage of all photos on one print.

I think you need to go back and ask exactly what they want. No wonder students get confused

Re: Ideas please

I agree with most of what you say
I like to think that I was fairly capable with film photography, but I'm having difficulty changing to digital

I know the photography well enough
I think digital cameras are far more complicated than they need to be, but I expect I'll learn as I keep using it

I can take the pictures OK, but my problem is that I don't know how to handle the computer side of things, and I thought going on a course would help, and give me a bit of enthusiasm
I'm a bit disappointed that the course doesn't cover this aspect very well; it seems that everyone is expected to be a computer expert nowadays. Still, it all helps

Typology means taking several pictures of similar things, eg water towers, or girls in yellow coats, and publishing them as a block, say of 9 pictures as 3 X 3
Easiest thing is to look it up on Google

I want to take good, interesting pictures of hillwalking, friends & family, aeroplanes, castles, and so on, but I've never been interested in taking pictures for their own sake
However these assignments will be useful exercises to learn the techniques

I'd never heard of Typology till a couple of days ago. I know what it means, but it just seems a pointless exercise

Something I learned years ago is that much of photography is based on the principle of The Emperor's New Clothes

Re: Ideas please

Just my suggestion, but for this one...Something on or at the end of a line, why not ask a local fisherman if you could photograph him catching a fish and ask him about his thoughts, when doing so, for the story.

Re: Ideas please

On the computer side of things ie editing there are several free editing programs, but I would not touch them.

this is what I use "Adobe Elements 14 " there is now 15 but no real advantage in paying more. The program is very easy to use and one can pick up how to almost straight away but it comes with tutorials as well. I would say get the Premier Elements at the same time to edit video work.

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Re: Ideas please

Digital photography can have more than one aspect to it. One being pure photographs taken with a digital camera. The another is applying digital techniques/effects to photographs in a program designed for the job. An evening course on digital photography, rather than pure photography, might try to be all encompassing in order to show what can be done with the camera and also with computer programs.

That assignment seems quite good to me. It means you first have to come up with ideas for the photo themes, take the photos and then do some sort of processing within a computer program. For instance: 'Someone wearing a hat' could show a person wearing a different hat depending on the weather. A few photos of that in a single file or on printed paper with a small story might be an option. All in all, some knowledge would be gained in taking photos and subsequent use of a computer program for processing.

It could be good to see what different interpretations of the assignment people come up with when you go to the class next week ..providing there's an interest in that aspect of digital photography at all of course.

True that there's a wealth of photographic information to be found on the Internet and on Forums but going to local classes is good as well in my opinion. You get to talk about the subject face to face with people, compare efforts, make remarks etc. Possibly a feeling of camaraderie with being in the same room sharing the same interests. I know of a photographic club where they go on outdoor photo-shoots as a group. That must be quite good and perhaps your course might involve the same?

Re: Ideas please

If it was me I'd go for the unusual and spontanious.
Perhaps a guy in a hard hat laughing or shouting on a building site or a homeless person wearing a scruffy beany, someone with an interesting face with wrinkles.
Perhaps a bird on a telephone wire or washing blowing on a line or a railway line with something in a siding.
A door with someone rushing through, a revolving or bus door. Lots of people pushing through, a door with someone peeping out, a dog or person ripping open something...
I want to join your class!
The one's I went to concentrated on editing and manipulation (which might as well have been in Martian).

Re: Ideas please

MART

As I mentioned, I'm not interested in The Great Art, or photography just for the sake of it
I suppose it depends on what you want - if I go hiking with a few friends and they're wearing hats, fair enough, but I would not set out deliberately to find or ask someone to wear a hat

From my point of view these assignments are contrived and artificial, but I can see that they are necessary for a short course of evening classes
They are useful learning exercises, but not something I would normally do. However, I will enter into the spirit of the thing and try to do them as well as I can. I already have a few ideas

There are 8 on the course, and already we have produced different ideas & styles, so that is interesting
I have no interest in digital manipulation, apart from perhaps lightening shadows and improving the contrast in the sky, but nothing too drastic

We are to do an outdoor assignment soon, all of us together, so that will be night photography; there is the college itself, including a floodlit sports field, and close by there is a dual carriageway & roundabout, and a large pub, so we should be able to manage something

There is a local photographic club, I really must contact them
Also I have just joined U3A, and they have a photographic group, but I've only met them once

Re: Ideas please

I can see what you are saying there Zulu, in that you are more interested in the technical quality than arty subjects but I do think the arty side of it can be important when composing a photograph.