Evaluating Final Images - Macro

Below are the final images that I chose for my macro assignment.

Nature’s Lenses Shutter 1/158 Aperture f 4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	With this image I like how the water droplets magnify whatever is beneath them, like a lens, hence the name Nature’s Lenses.  Although this is a replacement for an earlier image with the same name, which was not as sharp as this image. This image has texture, lead in lines with the water droplets creating interesting shapes. Although in the top left hand of the image there is some background, I have thrown this out of focus by using a large aperture of f 4.
Water Chase  Shutter 1/23 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 100 Metering Average	This photograph I liked because of how the water droplets formed on the stem bringing more interest to the shot. This image again has texture, in both the underside of the left hand top leaf but also in the stem leading to it.  I used a smaller aperture (f 2.8) to keep the depth of focus was shallow enough to throw the leaves in the background out of focus. Although the stem leads top left to bottom right, I still find it leads into the photograph.
Centre Shutter 1/1024 Aperture f 3 ISO 400 Metering Pattern	This photograph, of the stigma of a flower took more work than a simple image can convey.  Like all the macro photographs here, it was taken outside with natural light. This photograph has the texture of the petals and the stigma of the flower.  The shapes formed by the light on the petal and the stigma. I have seen photographs like this before and I wanted to have a go myself.
Frozen Shutter 1/588 Aperture f 4.4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	This photograph with its low angle, being taken from almost underneath the tree, makes an interesting photograph. The texture of the snow on the twigs of this tree, set against a blue sky brought in a nice contrast to this photograph, with the shapes and forms created by the twigs. Again I used a large aperture (f 4.4)  to throw the background out of focus.
Sub Zero Shutter 1/111 Aperture f 4.4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	Like In frozen, I wanted to capture the texture of the snow on the leaves of this plant, but despite the elements how the plant survived. Although there are no lines of interest in this photograph, there is shape and form in the leaves. The shallow depth of field of f 4.4 was used to throw the background out of focus. The title for this photograph came from a much used description of the weather.
Light Shutter 1/588 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	This photograph was taken to capture how the natural light, from the top right, caught this plant. The line, bottom middle to top left, formed by the step leads the viewer into the picture. There is texture in the leaves and shape and form in the leaves and the shadows.
Winter Leaves Shutter 1/350 Aperture f 6.3 ISO 200 Metering Spot	This photograph, taken at the memorial gardens in front of the college. What I liked about this is how the brown leaves where contrasted against the white snow, a sign of the two seasons, autumn and winter. The texture of the leaves against the texture of the white snow gave a nice contrast, with the numerous shapes and forms created by the leaves, the snow and the shadows. Although there was no intended lad in line, there is a line bottom right to top left along the ridge of the central brown leaf, which is then carried on.
Veins and Water Shutter 1/52 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	This photograph was taken to capture the rain drops and how they lay on the leaf, together with the veins of the leaf. There is texture in the leaf and rain drops, lines in the veins and shape / form created by the rain drops. A large aperture (f 2.8) was used to throw the background out of focus.
Frozen In Time Shutter 1/90 Aperture f 5.6 ISO 100 Metering Manual	This photograph I liked as it shows a leave, emerging from the snow. There is plenty of texture on the leaves and stems. The shapes formed by the leaves makes you look at this image closer. The shallow aperture (f 5.6) was used to throw the background out of focus to concentrate the viewer on the leaf.
Pink Shutter 1/223 Aperture f 4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern	For this photograph of a pink flower (please don’t ask me what it’s called) after some rain. What I liked about the photograph is how the pink flower stood out against the background with the water droplets adding more interest. There is texture and shape in the pink petals and the raindrops on them.

Evaluating Final Images - Architecture

Below are the final images that I chose for my architecture assignment.

In Reflection Shutter 1/500 Aperture f 9.5 ISO 100 Metering Spot	With this image I like how the sky is reflected in the glass wall of the building, with the sun’s reflection. I used a moderate depth of field so as to keep much of the building in focus. The frames around each of the panes of glass, with the central hubs set off this view by giving both texture, which is always difficult when photographing glass, and lead in lines which lead the viewer’s eye deeper into the photograph. Another thing I liked was how the different shapes formed by the shape of the building and the light falling on to it.
Mirror Mirror  Shutter 1/45 Aperture f 16 ISO 100 Metering Spot	This photograph I liked because, unlike In Reflection, this wall is almost featureless, with a partial reflection of the neighbouring building. I used a deeper depth of field, f 16, to make sure all three buildings were in focus. At the bottom of the photograph, at the end to these two buildings is a more traditional fronted building adding another perspective to these modern buildings. Again the line along the mirror building draws the viewer’s eye further into the building and towards the end of the mirror building the viewer can see a reflection of the third building. Also the texture and shapes formed by the right hand building form a contrast to the mirror building on the left.
Old and New Shutter 1/125 Aperture f 4 ISO 100 Metering Spot	Again this photograph, was interesting with the contrast between the old building in the foreground and the newer building in the background. The photograph is full of texture from the two buildings with the roof line on the old building forming a lead in line. Although the light was flat on the day I took the photograph, and really I should have used a smaller depth of field than f4, I feel that the shapes and forms created by these two contrasting buildings makes this an interesting shot.
Power Shutter 1/30 Aperture f 22 ISO 100 Metering Spot	This photograph, with its low angle makes an interesting photograph. It is full of texture on both the statute and the town hall behind it, which adds to this image. I chose a deep depth of field, f22, to keep both the statute and town hall in focus.
Hyatt Shutter 1/45 Aperture f 6.7 ISO 200 Metering Spot	Like In Reflection, I liked how the sky was reflected in this hotel at Birmingham.  It was by sheer luck that a bird flew past as I took the photograph, with it’s reflection in the lower portion of the building. The shape and form of the building together with the different coloured glass panels gave it interest, and again the edges of the glass panels give it a texture in comparison to the brick section below.
Cooper’s Square Shutter 1/33 Aperture f 1.6 ISO 133 Metering Program	This photograph of the inside of the Cooper’s Square shopping centre, in Burton Upon Trent, was another photograph of contrasts, between the man made structure of the building, with the roof trusses and interior panelling against the green plant in the foreground. Because of photographic restrictions, this photograph was taken with a mobile phone camera, which considering the limitations of this camera, produced quite a good photograph. This photograph is full of shapes and forms, texture and lines leading the viewer deeper into the photograph. My only disappointment with this image is how became a little pixelated, when printed.
Arboretum Shutter 1/20 Aperture f 22 ISO 100 Metering Spot	This photograph, taken at the National Arboretum, at Alrewas, near Burton Upon Trent, is a nice symmetric view with the two trees in the background framed by the walls either size of the central point. The contrast between the green grass, the trees, the white stone and the dark sky set each element of this photograph. The gold coloured top to the needle contrasts with the colour of the sky. The photograph has nice shapes formed in the white stone of the arboretum, the grass with it’s border in the foreground and the two trees in the background. Again a deep depth of field, f 22, maintained a sharp image of all the elements of the photograph that I wanted to show. Again the contrast between natural and manmade is an interesting view.
Natural History Museum Shutter 1/4 Aperture f 8 ISO 800 Metering Spot	This photograph was taken inside the National History Museum at London, using existing light. I liked the detail on the ceiling and the shapes formed by the roof with it’s roof trusses and glass panels. There is so much texture in the photograph, with the balcony in the bottom middle of the photograph adding some scale to the photograph. I prefer to use existing light as I find that sometimes using flash can destroy some of the atmosphere of the scene.  Although, in this case, the flash unit would not have added anything to this shot, if anything the camera would have lost too much of the existing light.
Arch Shutter 1/90 Aperture f 5.6 ISO 100 Metering Manual	This photograph taken at the Abbey at Whitby, was my attempt to capture both the detail of the inside of the arch, as well as the facing wall, with it’s ornate features. There is quite a lot of texture, both the stone of the arch and the lining a the top of the arch. Although the sky is burnt out behind the arch, without too much work to correct this, which would have been extra post production time, this image with it’s shapes and the lead in lines of the wall in the base of the arch worked pretty well.
Chimney Shutter 1/30 Aperture f 5.6 ISO 100 Metering Manual	For this photograph of the chimney at the Clay Mills Victorian Pumping Station, near Burton Upon Trent, I wanted to capture the scale of the building. The shape of the chimney, with it’s texture in the bricks and steel bands adding more contrast and the shape of the chimney forming a good lead in line. The two walls, either side of the chimney, form a basis of symmetry for this photograph.

Evaluation: Print Run 2 - College

Initially, there were problems producing the print, with printer errors.  After these few problems were taken care of the image was printed.

There were clear signs of banding on the image, mainly on areas where there was darker colours.  On green areas there was no sign of banding at all, which suggests it involved the magenta print head may have a blockage.

 

The finish on the paper was matt like, which I felt suited the image nicely, because sometimes using gloss finished papers the sheen can detract from the image, and even show up any problems at the mounting stage, in the form of lines across, or down, the print.

 

The colours that were printed were an accurate reproduction of what was on the computer screen, with the obvious exception of the banding.

Other than that I was happy with the print quality, and would like to thank all those concerned with their efforts in solving these issues enabling me to print this image.

Evaluation: Print Run 1 - D S Colour Labs

Collected the prints today from the Burton Sorting Office.  I was working outside in the garden for about half an hour, after waiting in for them to arrive, only to find that they had been and left a card for me to take to the sorting office to collect it.

In evaluating the the prints, I will also look at the condition of them from the point of packaging because this is important as it protects the prints from damage during transit from the printers to me.

Packaging

When D S Colour Labs send out prints they take great care in packing them between two plastic / cardboard sheets taped together to form an envelope, with the invoice attached, to keep them flat and protect them from creases and folds.  This is inside a strong corrugated cardboard box, clearly labelled with the addressee’s name and address with a return address in case it could not be delivered.

The box was in good condition when I collected it, with the prints safely inside, protected by the plastic / cardboard, with the tape in tacked.

Print Quality

The print quality is very good, with no signs of banding, or any other printer faults, and by selecting the auto corrected option, where the image is lightened slightly, (especially after finding some previous prints seemed to come out darker than what I expected), the prints matched the images on the computer screen.  So obviously D S Colour Labs have responded to peoples comments about the darkened prints, and provided an option where this is automatically corrected.

Finish

The finish was very good, with a matt like finish which seems to provide a more clear and defined edge to lines which gloss finishes can sometimes lose. 

Colour Management

The colours were faithfully reproduced, but without too much saturation, which I have heard some companies do to emphasise the images too much.  The whites were white without any colour cast and details remained sharp.

Crop

The images were as I uploaded them without any form of crop, with a narrow band along one edge.

Overall Evaluation

Another case of a fast turn around from uploading the images to receiving the finished prints, with a very high quality print quality, good finish and accurate colour management.  D S Colour Labs have obviously listened to peoples concerns over darker prints and provided an option on the print size and finish menu to correct any problems.

 

My only comment, which has nothing to do with D S Colour Labs, but an evaluation of one of the prints is that on 'Cooper's Square' the image is a little pixelated, but this is more due to the camera I used, on a mobile phone, which would never deliver the quality of a SLR.  But this shows what a mobile phone camera can deliver, and it's limits.

 

No prizes for guessing where my next set of A3 prints will be printed !

Macro Photography Techniques

Having covered product photography during the last course, I learnt a few valuable techniques for this assignment.  But this time, I wanted to photograph the subjects using the Pentax DSLR and not rely so much on the Fujifilm S7000.  This combined with the subjects being natural and situated outside in the garden.

The first consideration was the light, which was not as controlled as when I was taking the product shots, because now I was photographing the subject outside the house, where I wanted to use the natural light, only using a reflector when necessary to illuminate any dark areas that I wanted lighter to show the detail, as opposed to using the studio lights in the Burton College photographic studio.

The next consideration was focusing.  The S7000 has a macro mode and a super macro mode, the latter of which can focus down to 25mm.  Although I do not own a proper macro lens, some of my lenses can focus down to 450mm.

So this meant that that I could not get as close to the subject, as I could with the S7000.  This meant zooming in closer.  With the Tamron 18 - 200 mm lens this zoom range was the whole 18 - 200 mm, where as with the Sigma 75 - 300 mm lens only the focal range of 200 - 300 mm was available for macro use.

Next, I chose a large aperture to concentrate the viewer on the subject, rather than the background.  Working at larger apertures kept the depth of field shallow, blurring out the background.

 

Proper macro lenses have a reproduction factor of 1:1, life size, other lenses which can be used for macro work sometimes do not offer this.  But to me if the image is to be printed so people can see it clearly I will accept this and not buy proper macro lenses which cost more and, like the tilt and shift lenses used for architectural photography, have their own specific uses.

Preparation for Printing

I have decided to produce two A3 prints, one from each section, via the college printer, and the remaining eighteen prints via D S Colour Labs.

The paper used at the college is HP Satin Matt A3+ 250g/m2 (Q5462A):

Specifications shown below:

for which their HP Photosmart B9180 printer is calibrated for.

Above the printer is a set of calibration charts that have been used during the calibration process, just in case there is a problem later, where the original charts can be compared to newly printed charts.

Because the printer is calibrated to suit the paper that the college request the students to use on this printer, the images should come out to match the image perfectly.

This paper will give a fine finish to the printed images, without reflection or glare, which I found when I had some prints for last year's exhibition, twenty-ten at the college.  The reflections that resulted as a result of using pearl finish paper, which is glossy, showed up any marks that were the results of the photograph being mounted, which I felt let down the final work.

The printers use genuine HP ink cartridges and are checked on a regular basis to prevent any common printing problems such as banding (horizontal lines), ink run (vertical lines) and general poor printing quality.

Final Images - Macro

Below are some of my choices for my final images:

Nature’s Lenses     Shutter Speed 1/158 Aperture f 4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera S7000

Pink Shutter Speed 1/223 Aperture f 4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera S7000

Centre Shutter Speed 1/1024 Aperture f 3 ISO 400 Metering Pattern Camera S7000

Water Chase Shutter Speed 1/23 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 200 Metering Average Camera S7000

Veins and Water Shutter Speed 1/52 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera K10d

Light   Shutter Speed 1/588 Aperture f 2.8 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera K10d

Winter Leaves Shutter Speed 1/350 Aperture f 6.3 ISO 200 Metering Spot Camera K10d

Sub Zero Shutter Speed 1/111 Aperture F4.4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera K10d

Frozen Shutter Speed 1/588 Aperture f 4.4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera K10d

Frozen in Time   Shutter Speed 1/158 Aperture f 4.4 ISO 200 Metering Pattern Camera K10d

Printer Problems - Inkjet Printers

One thing about printing your work at home is that you have been in full control of the whole process from choosing your position and taking the photograph to seeing your print emerge from the printer. With this control though comes a few drawbacks including hardware and software issues.

As inkjet printers are the most common printers used at home for printing, I will cover this type of printer.

 

Most inkjet printers have a built-in diagnostics program to help you troubleshoot. Typically, running a test page involves pressing a button or two as you turn on the printer. Many inkjet printers also use a combination of indicator lights to help you pinpoint the problem.

 

Below are some of the problems that you could encounter at the printing stage:

Prints are lighter than expected or prints contain white spots or horizontal lines.

These signs point to a clogged print head - especially if you haven’t used your inkjet printer for some time. Banding (fine horizontal lines across the print are a common problem, sometimes encountered after changing a print cartridge.

Below is an example of banding:

 

To solve these problems select the printers cleaning and diagnostic utilities application for your printer, this is installed when you install your printer:

 

Below is the utilities screen for my Epson Stylus Colour 860:

 

 

Below is the utilities screen for my Canon Printer:

 

 

Then carry out a test print to verify if any of the print head nozzles are blocked:

 

 

If the resulting print has gaps in it then you need to run the head cleaning tool:

 

 

 

then carry out a test to ensure that the problem has been fixed.  If necessary repeat the cleaning and testing, until you are happy.  Bear in mind though that during the test print and cleaning cycles ink is used so beware if you are low on ink.

Vertical lines are jagged

This is usually a sign that the print head is out of alignment. There’s not much you can do to avoid this problem - all print heads become misaligned over time.

You can usually recalibrate the heads using the alignment tool that comes in your printer’s utility section. This involves printing a pattern of lines on normal paper and choosing which pattern looks best.

 

Below is a screen grab of the Epson print head alignment tool.

 

Colours look dull and sometimes run into each other

Check that you have loaded photo quality paper into the printer. I know this sounds odd but sometimes the printer may not catch the piece of photographic paper properly and feed through another sheet below if the photographic paper is not loaded properly. Also if the photographic paper is put in the wrong way around (some photographic paper, especially thinner matt you will be printing on the back of the paper which is not prepared for printing on.

In this case it is simply a case of checking what paper the printer has used and if it's the right way round.



Colours are missing or prints lack shadows and contrast

Colours may print inconsistently even before your printer instructs you to replace a cartridge. If the ink cartridges are low on ink when the problem occurs, try replacing them, this may improve colour quality.

If there’s enough ink but your print seems to be missing a particular colour, you probably have a clogged nozzle, so you’ll need to clean your print head. Colour quality can also suffer if ink cartridges have been in the printer for more than six months. Try swapping in a new cartridge.

Vertical lines down the print, either on the front or on the back

This means that at some stage ink has got onto the guide or rollers of the printer.

This means a lengthy cleaning, I use cotton wool buds, to clean the guides and rollers where the ink is coming from. Feed through the printer old printouts afterwards to check the guides and rollers are clean before printing again. If the guides and rollers are clean and you have the problem again there could be a serious fault with the printer.

Odd looking text being printed out instead of your photograph

This is usually a sign that there is a problem with the printer driver, which translates what the computer is sending to the printer to what is printed out.

If you're experiencing problems visit your inkjet printer manufacturer's web site and download the most current printer driver. Once you have reinstalled your printer software you will need to reboot your computer and then try printing again.

Paper constantly jamming

This can mean that there is something is blocking the path of the paper through the printer.

 

Check inside the printer for anything like torn paper, staples, paper clips etc. If a piece of paper jams inside the printer carefully remove it checking for any missing areas of paper, if this does happen check inside the printer for the missing paper and remove this as quick as possible.

Multiple pages fed through at once

This can either mean that the paper is sticking together, often through static, or that the paper thickness setting is set too thick.

 

Check the paper thickness setting, if there is one on the printer, and set it correctly, and remove the paper from the printer, fan the paper (to separate it) and re-insert the paper into the printer.

 

 

Colours do not match what you see on the screen

This is usually a case of not using any form of colour management.

Basically it is a case of setting up your camera, monitor and printer to interpret colours in the same way, so that skin tones come out correctly, matching what you actually saw before you took the photograph.

This might sound odd, but, I have noticed a distinct difference when printing out the same photograph on my Epson printer and Canon printer.  The Epson seems colder, with a slight green cast, whereas the Canon produces a warmer tone.

 

No print out at all

Check the printer queue or status monitor, to see if the print has gone to the printer, if you have more than one printer make sure it has gone to the correct printer:

often under the status heading a warning will appear if the printer is offline or out of paper or ink.

 

General Printer Care

Basically, it is a case of taking care of the printer,

• watching ink levels (many now have utilities that warn you when the ink is getting low) both on the printer (flashing LEDs) and sometimes on the computer (a window opening up).
• Make sure all connectors are in securely.
• carefully remove paper from the printer, if you have to pull the paper out, which could damage the paper feed mechanism, check that there are no missing pieces, which could lead to paper jams.
• only use good quality ink, poor quality ink will produce poor quality prints and may clog up the print heads
• only move the printer when you have to, certainly not when it is printing.
• Always keep plenty of ink, a spare cartridge of each if possible, because you never know you might run out of ink at a bad time, or late at night, trust me, I know !