Tuesday 12 November 2013

DPP Part 1 - Exercise 4 - Editing

DPP Part 1 - Exercise 4 - Editing

For this exercise I've used a set of images taken earlier and so combine this with images taken as part of another exercise. I'm following the steps as laid out in the course notes

I've taken a set of 83 images taken alongside the Severn Estuary in Lydney.

These are viewed below in Adobe Bridge CS6:


Step 1 - This is the technical edit and I'll mark-up all images that I'd want to delete with a 1 star because technically they are poor e.g. focus, composition, lighting. these I mark using a star system and giving these images a single star. I can then later choose to delete as I wont want to use these and will simply take up space

Step 2 and Step 3 - I've combined these selects and first selects by grading the images also using the star system marking these as stars from a total of 5, the higher the number f stars the better I think the image

Step 4 - I've not marked any images at 5 so I have an initial prime selection of images ranked at 4 stars, the images I consider of a lower standard technically and artistically I've ranked at 2 and 3 stars.



The course notes suggested a break and then to return to final selection with a fresh look. This actually made me increase the rating of an image to 4 stars.

This left me with 10 images that I ranked at 4 stars

Step 5

The exercise requires me to select just 2 images from my final 10

 - Image 1



The photo shoot was timed to coincide with a sunset and there is something wonderful about sunsets and water as the water reflects the wonderful colours of the setting sun and the sky


 - Image 2



A second image also shot into the setting sun but in this instance I've captured a fellow photographer. The quality of the soft golden sun is just amazing. This is highlighting the girl's hair and giving a texture and colour to the grass

I've chosen both of these images as the quality of light is just amazing in both of them. The first is a true landscape and the calmness and mirror effect of the still water. The second image becomes a portrait with a human subject herself looking at the quality of images she has taken and is quite apt for this exercise.

Exercise Learnings

a) I've always performed an initial check through my images in terms of a technical edit with a view to deleting technically incorrect images. Apply the star rating via Adobe Bridge is a good way of doing this. It allows for a later sort and enables me to re-verify those images before performing a potential delete

b) Again using the Adobe star rating against my images allows me sort and judge the images in terms of quality. Sorting these then makes it easier when considering which images to use. In the past I have written down image numbers and then gone back. I now have a much improved process

c) When making final selects, or a group of potential final selects the advice of leaving the screen for a short break is good advice. I find sometimes its easy to be focused on one aspect of the images when selecting them. Coming back later with a fresh mind in my case allows a further look at the images considering other creative elements of the images I had not given significant thought to before

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