Currently in ‘Film 3’ we are working on developing our compositional skills, as well as our understandings and knowledge of the cameras and other equipment that we have access to. In our first few classes we practiced framing subjects and actions and properly adjusting exposure settings – after doing this we reflected upon each other’s work and considered what could have been done differently. Cinematography and Composition are some key interests of mine and these activities really appealed to me, not only did I enjoy capturing different shots but I also found the critiques offered to me highly useful.
I’ve done a fair amount of photography in the last 2 years, largely with the aim of improving my eye for interesting angles, subjects and actions. While I haven’t had the chance to make too many films, I know that being able to capture interesting photographic images will certainly translate into my filmmaking (I think it definitely influenced my Media 3/4 film).
Through my photography I think I’ve begun to develop a certain compositional style. If I were to describe the majority of photo/video images I’ve created I’d probably be inclined to use words such as minimal, structured and clean. While it is one of my goals to develop my creative style, I’m conscious of the fact that I need to continue to experiment with different looks and aesthetics in order to further develop my framing skills, ideas and knowledge.
Over the semester break I went on a 3 week trip to Singapore and Malaysia. On the trip I took a lot of photos and I haven’t yet had the chance to sort through them and pick out the best ones. I thought it’d be an interesting activity to pick a few shots and critique them just as we did in our week 1 Film 3 classes. I’ll try and continue this activity as the semester goes on.
1. ‘Thinking with Portals’ [taken in Singapore’s ‘Gardens by the Bay’
This mirror installation had caught my eye during a previous trip to Singapore however I didn’t capture a photo I was pleased with on that trip. I’m really happy with how this photo turned out; I think the reflections in the mirrors provide a lot of interesting detail and I think their positioning within the frame works well. I shot this with a wide angle of view (the widest I could shoot at) to ensure that everything would be in focus; however I feel like it would have been good to get the camera lower to the ground to capture even more of the roof space. I’m imagining what could be done with these mirrors in the film medium – having figures walking in and out of the mirrors’ views would definitely make for a visually intriguing and (in my opinion) spectacular shot.
2. Tioman Jetty [Malaysian Island]
I’ve become accustomed to taking photos like this one whenever I’m by the ocean in the evening. A combination of ‘golden hour’ and interesting cloud patterns seem to result in visually pleasing and vibrant photos. I shot this with an 18mm focal length because I didn’t want to cut anything out and because I wanted to capture the broadness of the ocean’s horizon. Often it’s expected use the Rule of Thirds when taking shots like this [with either the sky or the ocean taking up 2/3rds of the frame]. However I have taken to giving the sky a bit more space (and I think I could’ve given it even more in this case). I really like how doing this gives the image a more minimal look as well as hero-ing the natural gradients of the evening sky. I couldn’t stop thinking of the imagery and soundtrack of Wes Anderson’s ‘The Life Aquatic’ while staying on this island and I feel like this probably influenced my ocean photography in some way or other. Had there been more clouds in the sky a timelapse could have looked great.
3. Walking Above [taken inside Singapore’s ‘Cloud Forest’ Dome]
I think I framed this shot well, and unintentionally achieved a somewhat ‘noir’ look. The plant life creates a frame within the frame and the only thing I would suggest to myself would be to try and complete the frame in the top right corner – this is the only edge of the photo not framed by darkness. I like the mysterious aesthetic that the mist and glare gives the image. I shot this at 55mm, and even without the EXIF data, this longer focal length can be seen in the way the background space has been compressed – the back wall seems to be right next to the silhouette of the bridge, however in reality it’s actually quite far away.
*higher quality versions of these photos can be accessed via my Flickr page*