Assignment 4: Feedback

I received my feedback this week for Assignment 4, which was, predictably, not as good as some I've had. I'm OK with this but take all the comments on board as points to improve from.

My main issue was, as my tutor pointed out, access to the subject. I probably should have realised that this was a problem and stopped trying to get the photo, but once I had it, I thought it was better than it was, and this was my problem! And once I had worked on it and edited it and put all the nice neat text on it, I thought it was good, when in reality it was only average. A learning point. It's never too late (except after submission!!) to admit that I am wrong about an image and just start over! But I didn't (although but submitting a second example of my work I was in a way hedging my bets!) and next time need to just consider that I need to only present my best work even if it means 'wasted' time.

Anyway, enough on that, the main issues were (apart from accessibility):

• Take more photos, different angles/focal lengths/apertures/lighting. Spend more time just looking at the scene and thinking about how best it can be photographed.
• Use a tripod
• Don't use lenses at maximum or minimum focal lengths and apertures - they are not as sharp (I have read this before but should probably do some specific reading on my lenses perhaps?)
• Don't crop too heavily (more than 25% of image is too much)

In addition,there is a green colour cast on the flower. I'm disappointed in myself for not noticing this... I am not particularly good at looking at colour casts on the screen, and as I look at the print next to me (which I should have printed prior to submitting the assignment, not afterwards), I can also see the cast. So I need to do more printing also, and be critical of the prints. Now that I'm based in Adelaide with an excellent professional printer a short cycle from my office, I should have no excuses for not doing more regular printing.

My 'design' is fine, though my tutor has some excellent advice for future design assignments which makes for interesting reading.

I also should perhaps engage in more specific technical research, and subject-specific contextual research. This I have done more for my final assignment, but need to remember it for all projects.

My 'alternative' image does not suffer from the same problems, so I will be submitting this one for assessment instead, though I have made some small tweaks to the colour/vibrance of it in order to liven it up a bit. I also toned down the colour of the text as my tutor mentioned that very vibrant text colours could be difficult for printing.

Adjusted image, Assignment 4

So, another the process continues. I hope to have more time moving forward for photography (now that the little one is bigger - almost 1!) and to be able to actually get out on my own occasionally to do some photography will be possible perhaps too. I take my tutors comments on board and will attempt to slow down more, still do more research, and take more care in composition in particular.