PHOTOJOURNALISM PORTFOLIO.

Colour Run (14/9/2013)

I chose this image to be in my portfolio because it is a nice family shot. It is quite well composed and lit. If I had got the names and area of residence of the people in this photo, I could send it to their local newspaper. The photo could be improved by cropping out the person on the right and perhaps asking the whole family to look at the camera so that I could get a clear shot of their faces.

This is a interesting shot because of vibrant colours from the paint powder. The cloud of pink frozen in the air is the main focal point and I tried to place it on the intersection of thirds. I could've cropped the image to place it on the thirds but I found that it affected the aspect ratio in an unflattering way. The photo could be sent to the Brighton papers because the arches in the background are specific to Brighton and therefore grounds the photo in that area. 

The subject of this shot is great because he is looking straight at the camera with a enthusiasm. The composition could definitely be improved by blurring the background with a larger aperture so that the focus is kept in the foreground. This photo could  have be sent to the local paper if I'd gotten the subject's name.  

The composition in this shot is one of my favourites from this shoot. The arch not only frames the photo nicely, it also establishes that it was taken in Brighton and as result it may be of interest to the local newspapers. The only improvement I can think of is to edit out the wire at the top of the photograph.

     Alexandra Bastedo's Animal Sanctuary -  Evening Meal.

This is a wide shot showing people looking and listening to Alexandra Bastedo as she gives a talk about her life and her work with the animal sanctuary. I chose this because it is a good establishing shot that shows what and where this is happening and who is involved. 

Here is a mid shot of Alexandra Bastedo and Craig Henderson. The photo is well lit and composed, the focus is kept on the subjects by the blurred background and foreground. The photo could be cropped on the right so that it is more aesthetically pleasing. I were to get permission, I could send this to the local papers to publish. 

The restaurant where the event took place has a display case that exhibits different artefacts related to Chinese culture. This photo was shot through the display case and shows people looking and listening attentively to Mrs Bastedo. I wouldn't send this to any newspapers because it probably wouldn't fit their criteria for a good photograph, however, I could use it for the restaurant's website because it showcases the interior quite well.

Here is another shot of Alexandra Bastedo and Craig Henderson. This is a closer view and I included it because it is better composed and shot during a serious discussion, as you can tell from the facial expressions of the subjects. As with before, the foreground and background is blurred so as to keep focus on the main subjects. It could be sent to the local papers and also be given to the animal sanctuary for their website.

    London Gallery Visit

Here we see a girl pulling a suitcase into the Southbank skatepark. I chose this because I thought it was an interesting shot due to its unusualness. It is unusual because she seems out of place in a skate park wearing an eye-catching, blue fur coat. The composition has her placed on the thirds making it visually pleasing. I don't think this photo could be used for any publications but i just think it is a nice photo. 

We went to Somerset House where they had a ice rink set up for the christmas season. This photo of a man on the ice rink is nice because it was taken before it got crowded. There is a contrast between the white ice and the subject's dark clothes and he is frozen in mid motion with a fast shutter speed. He is also placed off-center for a good composition. I'm not sure what this could be used for but i could give it to the promoters of the ice or Somerset House rink to use on their website. 

This is another shot at the Somerset House ice rink. I chose this photo because of the of the subject's pose/position. The lady's hair is flowing and she has a smile of her face which makes for a good photograph. Her red coat puts the focus on her because it is eye-catching and adds colour to the image. The weaknesses of this photo is that the subject is slightly out of focus which i tried to ignore because of the content of the image. The photo could be improved it were in better focus and if it was cropped/edited on the right to clean up the image.  

This was one of the final shots of the day and it shows the London Eye and the Big Ben under large clouds and a setting sun. I think this is a good shot because of the nice sunlight and the iconic landmarks and buildings in the background. This is more of a tourist shot and i would most likely not send it to be published in a paper or magezine.

Lewes Bonfire Night

On the 5th of November we were sent to photograph the Lewes Bonfire Night. The event is one of the largest in the country and involves different Bonfire societies bearing burning torches and parading through the streets of Lewes. 

We had to research the event before we went. We were given a map of Lewes that showed the layout of the streets so that we could see where to go and where to stand in order to get good photos. We found out that the event starts at 5pm finishes at around 1am. If you want to leave it is best to get out early to avoid long queues. 

I like the composition in this photo; how the three ladies are standing in a row and wearing different coloured costumes. The focus of the shot could be improved because the first lady in the blue costume is slightly out of focus. This photo could definitely be placed in the newspaper because it was taken at a popular event and also shows the faces of the three people very clearly.  

I chose this photo because it effectively displays one of the many costumes that were worn by the paraders. The subject is well lit and focused. There is a nice contrast between the bystanders in plain clothes and the subject with her colourful and elaborate Stuart era costume. I would send this photo to be published in a newspaper but I don't think it is what they're looking for because it doesn't show many faces and happy people.

This man was one of the people involved in the parade. The photo has a nice focus on the man and with the background blurred to draw your eye to the focal point. You can see the subjects face quite well and so this photo could be used in a newspaper.  

During the parade through the streets, there were many people looking out their windows and also sitting on rooftops. I took a photo of this because it shows people getting together with their friends and family to watch this lively festive event. It also shows an aspect of the Lewes bonfire night that some people don't focus on; the spectators. People gather  around and come together to watch this event and it creates nice lively atmosphere and a big sense of togetherness.

I sent some of my photos from the Lewes bonfire night to Dave Comeau, the chief reporter at the Crawley news. He gave me some feedback on my photos:

Hi Alex. Thank you for getting in touch. You’ve got some nice pics there. You just need to make a few tweaks for future photos. Comments below…

Photo 4 and 5 are good as you have the people coming towards you so you can see faces and they are good quality pics. Side-on shots are not so good because you can’t see their faces properly and faces are what sell papers and what people looking at online galleries want to see.

Also, think about how the photo is framed. In photo 2, your subject in the middle is nicely shot, but at the edges you have people chopped in half.

Photo 3 would be a really nice shot, of the people sat in a row, if you got up close. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Almost everybody you will meet at events like this will be more than happy to be photographed. Just wander over and let them know who you are and what you’re doing. You’ll get much better pics as a result.

From this feedback I have learned to cropped images if there are people chopped in half, to take photos where the subject's face are in full view and to get closer and interact with people more. This is the result of my Lewes photo shoot.