Exercise 9:Focal Lengths

This exercise requires me to take 3 to 10 photographs. At each photographs, I will zoom in gradually without moving. Given that I usually only carry a 50mm prime or 24-70mm zoom, so I can really zoom in a large range while find something interesting composition wise. Therefore, I am aiming at 3 shots.


Just for new experience, I try photographing in the Bromley cemetery. I have never thought of photographing at a cemetery, since places like this are considered to be spooky in my country. However, an American friend once told me that she likes to take a walk at cemetery because it is very peaceful. Just for the sake of curiosity, I went there to take a look.


So here are three images gradually zoom in. I want to preserve the tree and the shadow with some tomb stone at side. 

Image 1: 28mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, at 1/250s

Image 2: 44mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, at 1/250s

Image 3: 70mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, at 1/250s

Indeed, if I don't change preceptive, zooming in is the same as using a magnifier. 

Exercise 12: Positioning the Horizon

I guess this become a habit for me to skip ahead of exercises and do those that are easier first. In this exercise, I have to look at where the horizon should appear on the photograph. There are high rises everywhere in city of London and it is very difficult to find a pure horizon. So instead, I find something that occupied the horizon. For example, the iconic Tower Bridge.


Image 1 positions the "horizon" on the upper part of the frame, image 2 on the middle, and image 3 on the bottom part.

Image 1: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

 Image 2: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

 Image 3: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

Image 1 has more Thames river. Unfortunately the colour of the river is not that pleasant compare to the sky. Image 3 is better, but it has too much sky on a day that the cloud is not particularly strong (too thin, colour too light). Therefore the image is very heavy on the bottom half. Image 2 is the most  balanced one out of the three: it has some details on the busy river, and some sky. However, image 2 suffers from looking too typical touristy snap shot.


Let's try the same thing with taking a vertical frame instead.

Image 4: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

Image 5: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

Image 4 has too much river, but the effect is balance off by the orange floatation. It is looking better than image 1 to 3. Image 5 unfortunately suffers too much sky and bottom heavy again.


Let's try positioning the bridge on horizontal frame. The bridge sits on the middle of the frame in image 6, while it is on the left side of the frame on image 7.

Image 6: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

Image 7: 50mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/160s

Overall I think image 4 is the best. There are too many distraction on the side and really not suitable for horizontal frame. The river is dirty and the sky is not too exciting, and the only way to balance it out is the jam in something with different colour on the screen. It seems those orange floatation did the trick.