Digital Imaging - Bokeh!

Our task over the Christmas period was to photograph the technique known as 'Bokeh'. After never hearing of this specific effect before, I spent a little while researching about it and looking at lots of different perspectives and ways of doing it. A simple way of explaining Bokeh is the technique that blurs out the lighting in the image, or when the lens completely out focuses the background. For this task, I used my Nikon Telephoto Lens (70 - 300mm). I was abit apprehensive on using this lens as I was worried I wasn't going to get the right effect with it, but after I set up what I wanted to shoot I started playing around with the shutter speed and aperture I was starting to get the right effect. I was currently in the middle of tidying up my Christmas decorations and I decided to use the tree lights for the background and some little Christmas novelties which would be in focus in the foreground.

I had a lot of fun shooting Bokeh, especially for the first time! I'm really happy with my results and will be shooting a lot more Bokeh in the future!

 

 

 

 

I also got my beautiful little cat to model for me!!

 

 

 

Hope you like my images :)

Laura xxx

Digital Imaging - Smoke Trails!

So our task for last week was to photography smoke trails. I was abit optimistic about photographing smoke trails as I have never tried to shoot smoke before, especially trials which are usually shot at close range and which are very detailed. I always thought it would be very hard to get the perfect picture. But I spent abit of time (which was only about 20 minutes due to work commitments!!)setting up a backdrop for some 'trail and error' photography smoke trails.

The setting for my images were my window sill funnily enough! I propped my laptop on my window sill as the black backdrop and used the flashlight on my phone as a 'softbox' on one side to light up the smoke, if you can picture that! Almost like a miniature studio for tiny people! It actually worked better than I expected as I wasn't expecting to get anything first time round! I got my dad to light the match and blow it out so I could focus on capturing the smoke trail in detail in which I only managed to get one good image in the short time I had! But I will be trying this technique out again after Christmas to see if I can get some more to add to my collection :) for now here is the smoke trail I shot which I am really quite pleased with!!!

 

 

 

 

Laura xx

Digital Imaging - Splash Photography

So this weeks task from one of our lecturers was to experiment with the word 'splash' and create images around 'splash' photography. Splash photography is very interesting and can create some very beautiful and striking images that you wouldn't normally see through the human eye, instead, through the camera lens, you are able capture a still life image that presents a lot of detail and technique.

I wanted to use something everyday to create a splash so I just picked up an apple from my fruit bowl, some spare black A3 paper and filled up a glass bowl full of water and off I went to my kitchen to start shooting! I did drag my mum into helping me so she could drop the apple into the bowl whilst I focused on capturing the image! It took us a few attempts to get it right but we eventually got some good shots!

I am very pleased with the outcome seeing it was my first attempt at this type of photography!! Some images are below, enjoy :)

 

 

 

I really loved experimenting with 'splash' photography and it is something I would definitely do again. If I were to do this again, I would change the object I was dropping into the water, or I would perhaps use a different glass, or a see through box so I could photograph the object falling into the water from the side of the box to get the objects splash from inside the box etc., just to do something different. I also like experimenting with angles and the different splashes you can achieve from the angles from the camera lens, so experimenting with that further is something I would like to practice.

 

Until next time :)
Laura xox