4.2 – Artificial Light

For this exercise, I wanted to focus on observing and capturing the unique qualities of artificial light rather than just using it to light up a subject. I wanted to pay attention to the mood the light created, not just whether the image was correctly exposed.

Neon Light

The first set of images was taken indoors using a rainbow neon light in a bedroom. I noticed how the light didn’t just brighten the room but actually altered the atmosphere, adding color, shape, and softness to the space. In the first image, the light was casting a strong glow onto the nearby wall, spreading the colored light and creating a soft, ambient effect. The light looked less like a direct source and more like a color wash across the room. The settings were 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800. The exposure allowed for a balanced shot that captured the glow, but the light appeared more diffused and soft, with the reflection playing just as big a role as the light source itself.

For the second image, I changed the shutter speed to 1/1000 sec while keeping the aperture and ISO the same. This adjustment reduced the light captured from the surroundings, making the neon sign itself appear much bolder, sharper, and more defined. The settings were 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800. The glow on the wall was almost entirely lost in this shot, and the light became the main focus of the composition. I liked how this created a more graphic, contrast-heavy look compared to the softer atmosphere in the first photo. It also reminded me of the difference between ambient light and direct light in studio setups, even though this was a bedroom scene.

Computer Screen Light

The next two photos I took were of a computer screen in a room. I found this setup interesting because the computer acts as both the subject and the light source.

In the first image, I adjusted the camera settings to 1/100 sec, f/5, ISO 800 until the exposure looked balanced to my eye. The result was a fairly accurate representation of how the scene looked. The screen wasn’t overly bright, and the room was just dark enough to give the photo a sense of contrast.

For the second image, I deliberately adjusted my settings, so the exposure meter was set at 0, which required lowering the shutter speed to 1/60. This change brightened the overall image, especially the room around the screen, and reduced the intensity of the screen glow, making the environment more visible. It was a simple but useful demonstration of how adjusting to the meter’s “perfect exposure” isn’t always the most atmospheric choice. Sometimes slightly underexposing gives the scene a more natural or dramatic look.

Bedroom Lamp Light

Next, I photographed a lamp in a dark bedroom, which gave me a chance to see how artificial light changes the mood depending on exposure choices.

In the first shot, I set my camera to 1/200 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600. I kept the exposure meter at 0 by using a high ISO and moderate shutter speed. This gave me an evenly lit scene, where the lamp’s light filled the room and softened the shadows.

For the second shot, I set it to 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800. I wanted the light to feel more moody and intimate, so I adjusted the settings to darken the exposure. I reduced the ISO and used a slightly faster shutter speed, which kept the lamp’s glow more contained and the rest of the room dimmer.

This comparison showed me how important intention is when shooting with artificial light. It isn’t just about making sure a photo is properly exposed but about using exposure to shape the feeling of the scene.

Street Light & Car Headlights

After experimenting indoors, I moved outside after dark to capture the effect of streetlights and passing car headlights.

In my first outdoor image, I used the settings ISO 6400, f/8, 1/20s. My goal wasn’t to photograph the light source itself, but rather to show the way the artificial light shaped and illuminated the space creating an orange glow throughout. This light felt very different from the sharp, direct rays of sunlight; it was more localized and atmospheric.

For the next two shots, I experimented with slow shutter speeds to introduce movement and play with the exposure of the scene. I set the shutter to 1/4s and kept the ISO at 6400 to compensate for the low light. The first image came out too bright with an aperture of f/14, so I adjusted the aperture to f/20 for the next shot, which created a better balance and allowed the glow from the streetlights and the streaks of car headlights to be more visible without overexposing the scene.

Reflection

Comparing these artificial light shots to the daylight images I captured in Exercise 4.1, the differences are striking. Daylight typically produces a more natural and evenly distributed light, whereas artificial light often creates strong contrasts, defined edges, and a particular mood or atmosphere.

Artificial sources like neon, lamps, and streetlights introduce a wide range of color temperatures, which can create mixed and sometimes conflicting tones within the same frame. I found this especially interesting when car headlights and streetlights interacted in the same shot. The cool white light of the headlights contrasted against the warm orange glow of the streetlamps, creating a layered and dynamic composition.

Using artificial light, I felt like I had more creative freedom to manipulate the mood of the scene, especially by adjusting shutter speed and aperture to control exposure and the way light shaped the space.

One thing I learned during this exercise is how much potential there is for creative experimentation with slow shutter speeds. While I was happy with the balance I achieved at 1/4s, in future shoots I’d like to slow the shutter even more to capture more defined and fluid light trails. Especially with moving light sources like car headlights. I think this could help add a stronger sense of motion and energy to my night photography.

4.1 – Daylight

While preparing for this exercise, I explored the work of Eugène Atget, whose street photography I was already drawn to earlier in the course. What stood out to me this time was how his approach to light shifted throughout his career. In his early photographs, Atget used bright, even midday light, which helped create clear, shadowless scenes and emphasized the documentary nature of his work. However, in his later images, I noticed he began using early morning light to introduce deeper shadows and a more atmospheric mood. This change in lighting created more emotional weight and turned ordinary streets into places that felt timeless and quiet.

I was inspired by this shift when shooting my own images for this exercise. I waited until the light was softer, around sunrise or sunset, to capture not just the subject but the mood the light created. Like Atget, I found that the quality of the light changed the entire feeling of the scene, making the same street feel either clear and factual or mysterious and reflective depending on the time of day.

For my own photos, I decided to focus on the changing light during the evening as the sun was going down. I wanted to observe how the light affected both the appearance and the mood of my surroundings, particularly through shadows, highlights, and color.

Image 1: Trees & Sunlight on Leaves
The first image I captured shows the tops of some trees as the low sun caught the leaves at different angles. I noticed how the light changed the colors of the leaves. The ones in direct sunlight appeared vibrant and warm, while the shaded areas stayed cooler and more muted. The settings were 1/80 sec, f/10, ISO 400. The smaller aperture helped keep more of the scene in focus, allowing the contrast between light and shadow to stand out clearly.

Image 2: Sunstar Through Leaves
In the second image, I positioned myself so the sun was breaking through the tree leaves and adjusted my settings to create a sun star effect. The settings were 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 400. The smaller aperture helped define the star shape, while the faster shutter speed controlled the exposure against the bright sun.

Images 3–6: Testing Settings for Light & Exposure
For the next set of four images, I experimented with different settings while keeping a similar composition. I wanted to see how adjustments would affect the exposure and overall feel of the image as the light faded.

Image 3: 1/4000 sec, f/8, ISO 400
Image 4: 1/4000 sec, f/16, ISO 400
Image 5: 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 100
Image 6: 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 400

The first two images are very similar, but I adjusted the aperture from f/8 to f/16 to test depth and sharpness, while maintaining the same shutter and ISO. The last two show how lowering the ISO to 100 in image 5 required a careful balance with the available light compared to ISO 400 in image 6. This part of the exercise taught me how changing one setting directly affects the others, especially when trying to preserve the natural feel of the scene.

Images 7 & 8: Chasing Light on the Walk Back
As I was walking back to the car, the sun was almost set, and I spotted an interesting composition. I took two images, one landscape and one portrait, to compare how framing would affect the sense of space. Since the light was dropping fast, I had to change my settings between the two shots even though the composition was the same.

Image 7 (Landscape): 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 800
Image 8 (Portrait): 1/500 sec, f/16, ISO 3200

Despite the big difference in aperture and ISO, both images look very similar, showing how adjusting exposure settings can compensate for fading natural light without changing the visual outcome too much. This also highlighted how flexible light management can be in manual mode.

Throughout this exercise, I realised that natural light doesn’t just illuminate a subject. It can completely change the emotion and meaning of a photograph. I learned that even small adjustments to aperture, ISO, and shutter speed allowed me to either capture the light more truthfully or control the mood to suit how I felt in the moment.

Experimenting with different compositions and exposures, especially when the light was fading, gave me the chance to be more deliberate and thoughtful about when to press the shutter, rather than rushing to capture the scene before the light disappeared.

Looking at the work of Eugène Atget also encouraged me to slow down and let the light speak for itself, especially in the final two images, where the falling light made the ordinary scene feel more meaningful. A similar quality I admire in his street photographs.

This exercise helped me to develop both my technical control and my creative thinking, especially in recognizing how light can turn an everyday moment into something expressive. I believe this shows growth towards the Creativity criteria, as I was not only experimenting with different camera settings but also making intentional decisions based on how the light made me feel.

Bibliography

International Center of Photography (ICP). (n.d.). Hotel de Clermont-Tonnerre, Rue de Cherche-Midi. Eugène Atget. At: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/hotel-de-clermont-tonnerre-rue-de-cherche-midi [accessed 19/04/25]

3.1 – Freeze

For this exercise, I photographed a person mid-jump using a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 to freeze the movement in place. I kept the camera in Shutter Priority mode and adjusted the ISO higher to allow for a bright enough exposure. I didn’t use continuous shooting mode, so I had to time the shot manually, trying to capture the subject at the peak of their jump.

Rather than changing angles, I experimented by adjusting the focal length. This helped me understand how zooming in or out can affect both the background compression and how dynamic the jump appears within the frame.

Although I didn’t use burst mode or vary my shooting angle this time, I learned a lot through the limitations. It was trickier to time the jump just right, but when I caught it, the results felt rewarding. Freezing the subject mid-air with no visible motion blur created a sense of tension and lightness that isn’t noticeable in real time. I found myself paying attention to smaller details like posture, hair movement, and the positioning of limbs.

Szarkowski’s quote about the “momentary patterning of lines and shapes” felt especially relevant—I could see a beauty in the temporary arrangement of the body in space, almost like it was choreographed. Next time, I’d like to incorporate continuous shooting and experiment with angles to see how those choices change the feel of the final image.

I was fascinated by Harold Edgerton’s work because of how it made the invisible visible. His ultra-fast flash techniques froze motion so precisely that a bullet piercing an apple or a drop of milk forming a perfect coronet suddenly became sculptural. What stood out to me wasn’t just the technical achievement, but the way he captured beauty in everyday physics. Moments that are too fast for the human eye to register.

Looking at his images made me realise how photography isn’t just about documenting. It’s about revealing. This has influenced how I approached my own jumping photos. While I didn’t use quite as fast a shutter speed or specialised lighting, I was aiming for that same idea: to pause time and highlight something fleeting and usually unseen. His work has inspired me to keep exploring how I can use my camera not just to record reality, but to reframe and transform it.

Bibliography

Edgerton, H. International Center of Photography. At: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/harold-eugene-edgerton [accessed 1/5/2025]

Contact Sheet

3.2 – Trace

For this exercise, I explored the idea of recording the trace of movement within the frame, taking inspiration from several artists who use time, space, and blur to convey deeper meanings.

During my research, I was particularly drawn to Michael Wesely’s long exposures, which layered time into a single image, creating ghostly scenes that feel both still and in motion. I also enjoyed the playful distortions in the work of Maarten Vanvolsem and Gareth Davies. Their approach made me think about how movement can disrupt and reshape the way we view a scene. However, it was Francesca Woodman’s haunting self-portraits that resonated the most. Her use of blur and long exposures evokes emotion and a sense of the otherworldly, and this is something I wanted to experiment with in my own image.

Melbourne Street Experiments

Before attempting a self-portrait, I took my camera into Melbourne and experimented with using a slow shutter speed to capture the trace of movement in busy street scenes. I wanted to see how motion blur could reflect the energy, chaos, or even solitude in a fast-moving environment.

For the first four photos, I sat on a couple of benches along the roadside and observed the flow of pedestrians and traffic. I used an ISO of 100 and a shutter speed of 1/8 second to allow movement to blur slightly while keeping the environment recognisable. The motion trails created a dynamic contrast against the stillness of the street furniture and background architecture.

As I continued walking through the city, I came across an aesthetic viewpoint that framed an older-style building between two modern skyscrapers. It felt symbolic. Old and new clashing in one frame. I lowered the shutter speed to 1/3 second to exaggerate the blur but found the contrast too high and distracting. While adjusting the settings back to 1/8 second, I accidentally clicked the shutter button as I lowered the camera.

This mistake ended up being a “happy accident” resulting in a beautifully distorted image of the old building, caught mid-motion. Though unintentional, it captured exactly what I had been looking for – a slightly surreal sense of time passing, of things shifting just out of reach. The final photo was taken at ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1/8 second, and it’s my favourite from the series so far.

These images helped me become more comfortable with slow shutter photography in public and gave me a deeper understanding of how to balance exposure, motion, and intention.

Inspired Self – Portrait

Inspired by Francesca Woodman’s haunting, otherworldly imagery, I wanted to explore how motion blur could be used in a more personal and expressive way. While my Melbourne street photos captured external movement, I turned the camera inward for this part of the exercise.

I set up my camera facing a blank background to remove distractions and focus on the figure. Using the timer and a shutter speed of 1/4 second, I positioned myself in front of the lens and experimented with movement. As the shutter opened, I slowly shook my head with my hands hovering near my face, trying to convey a feeling of inner chaos or confusion.

The first image was more zoomed in than intended, but I was immediately drawn to the results. The blur across my features gave a ghostlike presence, evoking something raw and unsettling. Though it wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned, the distortion adds a layer of intensity that I’ve become kind of obsessed with.

For the second attempt, I zoomed out slightly to better frame my upper body and allow more space around the movement. This time, the photo came out just as I had pictured it – a visual echo of distress, captured in one extended moment.

This process showed me how even simple, subtle movements can dramatically affect the emotional tone of an image. It’s made me think differently about portraiture, not just in terms of how a subject looks, but how they feel.

Bibliography

Fiore, J. August 2018. Reevaluating Francesca Woodman, whose early death haunts her groundbreaking images. Artsy. At: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-reevaluating-francesca-woodman-early-death-haunts-groundbreaking-images [accessed 1/5/2025]

Contact Sheet

Assignment 2 – Collecting

For this assignment, I chose the theme “Views”. It felt like a natural fit because I genuinely enjoy photographing landscapes and I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by stunning scenery during my daily dog walks. These places aren’t just beautiful, they’re familiar, peaceful, and tied to my routine, which made the process feel very personal and authentic.

Before I went out, I focused on creating a cohesive visual series, as suggested by the quote from Walter Benjamin:

“Fragments of a vessel which are to be glued together must match one another in the smallest details although they need not be like one another.”

This idea helped me make technical decisions early on. I chose to shoot handheld using a 35mm focal length with a narrow aperture (f/13–f/16) to keep most of the image in focus making it ideal for wide landscape scenes. I also made a conscious effort to use the rule of thirds, especially to keep the horizon on the lower third of the frame. These small details help the images feel like part of a set, even though each one shows a different view.

I selected eight strong images that show tree-lined roads with vanishing points and distant valleys at elevated lookouts. They’re all places I see while walking my dog that became an unintentional but fitting theme: everyday views through a walking lens. The series quietly documents my environment as I move through it. There’s no forced narrative or dramatic moment, just the peaceful stillness of the places I pause in.

While putting this series together, I learned a lot about aperture and depth of field, and how a small aperture can give sharper landscape details. I also became more aware of how ISO settings affect light and noise, especially in outdoor daylight conditions. I realised how important consistency is, not just in the subject matter, but in framing, focal length, and horizon placement. I also recognised how editing could elevate the final result. Although I haven’t edited or cropped these photos, I now understand how post-processing can help enhance clarity and cohesion in future work.

This set isn’t flashy or overly stylised, but that’s what I like about it. It reflects stillness, space, and the idea of observation… views that speak for themselves. It reminds me of Ishiuchi Miyako’s quiet photographic approach in Hiroshima, or Renger-Patzsch’s belief that things can have a voice when we don’t try to overly dramatise them. In future assignments, I’d like to explore editing and post-processing more, maybe even plan around specific weather or lighting conditions. But for this set, I am pleased with the outcome as it reflects my eye, my routine, and my growing understanding of how to bring photos together with purpose.

Reflection Against Assessment Criteria

1. Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills
I made intentional technical decisions before taking the photographs, such as using a consistent 35mm focal length and a narrow aperture (f/13–f/16) to ensure deep focus throughout each image. I shot handheld but paid close attention to composition using the rule of thirds, particularly keeping the horizon on the lower third. I also considered how the images would work as a series, paying attention to framing and visual rhythm. This assignment helped me improve my understanding of aperture, ISO, and how to use camera settings to suit a subject like landscape photography.

2. Quality of Outcome
I feel that my final series of eight photographs is visually coherent and consistent, even though each image shows a different view. The concept is simple and quiet, everyday views from my dog walks, but I believe it communicates a clear sense of place and perspective. I presented the work in a clear and structured way, supported by reflective writing that explains my process and thought behind the choices I made. The outcome is personal, honest, and technically considered.

3. Demonstration of Creativity
Although the idea wasn’t highly experimental, I think there’s creativity in the way I approached something so familiar. I didn’t try to force a big concept, but instead let the views and the routine of walking guide the work. The decision to keep things simple, unedited, and natural was part of that creative choice. I’d like to push my creativity further in future assignments, perhaps by exploring different lighting conditions, weather, or experimenting with editing and storytelling more directly.

4. Context
I looked into the ideas presented by Walter Benjamin, particularly the importance of coherence and detail across a series. This helped shape my approach. I also reflected on photographers like Ishiuchi Miyako and Albert Renger-Patzsch, who use stillness and minimalism to let objects or places speak for themselves. Writing the reflection helped me connect these ideas to my own work. I’m beginning to build a better understanding of how theory and historical context can shape and support a photographic practice.

2.4 – Woodpecker

Focus is another powerful tool in photography, guiding the viewer’s attention and shaping the overall composition of an image. In this exercise, I explored how different focusing techniques and depth of field settings can dramatically alter the way an image is perceived. I found a subject positioned in front of a background with depth, ensuring there were clear layers to work with. I used a moderate zoom lens and got as close as possible to my subject while staying within my lens’s minimum focusing distance.

I started by setting my focus directly on the subject. With a wide aperture, this resulted in a beautifully blurred background, isolating the subject and drawing the viewer’s eye immediately to the sharpest point in the frame. This effect is commonly used in portrait photography to create a professional, artistic look.

Next, without changing my framing or focal length, I set my focus to infinity. The background suddenly became sharp and detailed, while the foreground (including my subject) became a soft blur. The shift in focus completely altered the composition, making the environment more prominent than the subject itself.

For the final shot, I selected a small aperture to achieve a deep depth of field, ensuring both foreground and background elements were in focus. This technique is often used in landscape photography to create immersive scenes where every detail is visible.

The key takeaways from this exercise were focus dictates attention. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the sharpest part of an image. Shallow depth of field forces our focus onto a single subject, while deep focus allows the entire scene to be explored. Changing the focal point alters how the image is perceived. A blurred subject with a sharp background feels completely different from a sharply focused subject with a blurred background. When using deep focus, including strong foreground elements can help create balance and prevent wide shots from feeling empty. Neuroscientific studies suggest that our left part of our brain processes details while the right sees the bigger picture. Mastering both shallow and deep depth of field allows us to create images that engage both aspects of visual perception.

This exercise was a great reminder of how much control we have over an image simply by adjusting focus. Whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, or storytelling images, understanding how focus structures composition can take your photography to the next level.