Assignment 5: Daydreaming While at Work - Photograph 6

I was already very satisfied with my 'pre-shot' photograph (6a) within the main photograph (6b). In some respects I felt I actually had to make the final image live up to the standards set for Photograph 6a and I thought I managed to mostly produce that standard.

   The reason I was so pleased with Photograph 6a was because it captured my subject in his element, with an accurate expression captured on his face too. The colour and compositional components of the photograph were really strong too in my opinion, with him placed amidst all the colour and also between the sugar cane sticks.

Photograph 6a - The photograph within Photograph 6b

   I attempted to do a similar thing for the Final Photograph 6b and capture some of the essence of him but in a working environment this time. Like my first subject for this assignment (captured in Photographs 1a and 1b), my subject was retired but of course this subject similarly still had activity going on in his life so I decided him cooking was an occupation of his time now. I felt this was an accurate assertion and also one that offered enough scope for composition and creativity.

   I managed to photograph him at a time when the Sun was just catching the cooker and pans and himself, which gave the photograph a lighter yet simultaneously more lively feel. In fact the scene was quite contrasty so I made two exposures (I was using a tripod); one for the cooker, where the image was brightest and another for the shadows and him. Then I combined the two exposures in Photoshop by placing the darker photo over the lighter exposure and then applying a black layer mask on the dark exposure layer. Finally I painted back with white paint the highlights from the darker exposure back into the image.

   I felt the image was successful in this lighting aspect and his expression was quite well captured as well. I did have to hurry with regards to the lighting situation however, with the Sun quickly starting to create unwanted shadows as it got lower. Therefore, because I had to hurry, the sharpness in the shadow areas wasn't optimal and I had to in fact crop put parts of the right of the image because of the shadows. Valuably though, the important parts of the image (including the picture within the picture (Photograph 6a)) were sharp and well-exposed.

Final Photograph 6b

   Regarding the picture within the picture (Photograph 6a) inside Photograph 6b, I thought it was very well placed and helped make the connection to convey what my subject was daydreaming of.

   Meanwhile, there was a good sense of activity, with him cooking evident and the expression was accurate to how I recognised him.

   Overall, I would say that Final Photograph 6b was of pretty good quality and I wouldn't change much about it.