Book on Photography Projects. - DPChallenge Forums

04/22/2006 02:04:45 AM · #1

I am writing a book on Photography projects, which will include about 50 Photography projects. A project is one, in which some ingenuity on the part of photographer is required. Some examples are:

I am looking for some images that will serve as projects. The name of photographer's will be duly acknowledged in the book. This book will be initially published as online book, and then as a regular book.
Anyone willing to contribute his/her photographs

Message edited by author 2006-04-22 02:20:47.

04/22/2006 02:07:24 AM · #2

Hi. I love this idea. I did a pencil project recently with my S2 IS. I found it very informative. I haven't finished post processing yet though. I'm pretty busy.

I also posted a thread about 4-6 cell photo stories. Nobody was interested in that.

It's very difficult for me to do this sort of thing as I do 95% of my shooting alone.

Single life *really* sucks sometimes.

EDIT: Removed fixed information as it was repaired by OP.

Message edited by author 2006-04-23 12:01:33.

04/22/2006 02:21:31 AM · #3

Thanks for the quick response. Anyone else?

04/22/2006 11:20:53 PM · #4

Seems like just you and me here.

I was just thinking about this thread when I was considering 3 different viewpoints of photography...

1 Taking pictures to show what they are

2 Taking pictures to show what you see

3 Taking pictures to show what you want others to see.

Maybe there is some food for thought in that that could help build some photo projects. It gets really interesting when you start thinking of ways to blend 1 2 and 3. There are different levels of skill to each of those and each of them can also be a good place to start. 1 and 2 are easier to start with than 3...

A friend of mine who was an art student at one of the leading art schools in Toronto and does fantastic things with a camera told me once of an exhibition he went to where the class got a tour with the artist. A few pictures stuck out at him, but one of them was a picture of 6 frames of white paper, all VERY similar (this is before digital came along with its AWB), but with the tiniest variations in color cast only visible if you looked really hard. They represented a day's worth of time and changing light situations, and all had to be manually corrected for. It was a rather simple concept, but carrying it out in a dark room, without photoshop was a manifestation of his art. It was also a manifestation of taking a very simple concept to a very high level (above picture style 2 blended with 1). The exercise is very interesting. (although not everyone would view this as art)

Another fascinating peice was a picture of many lines drawn on paper with a pencil that were perfectly straight and exactly the same thickness in each line the whole length of the line. Blending pressure control, angle of the line as well as other factors involved here were one form of art. Taking the picture to retain that was another.

The really fun stuff comes when we blend art styles.

There was also a thread posted about mental blocks where I posted a list of around 50 different ways to take a picture of a single subject. It's not high art, or even art at all, but at least it's an interesting project that has helped me to learn a lot about photography that will give me the skills for other situations where I have the opportunity to create art.

I am just a beginner really, so I'm still interested in this sort of menial stuff... :)

04/23/2006 10:24:56 AM · #5

It seems no one else is interested.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

04/23/2006 11:14:03 AM · #6

Well, fwiw, if you need anything, pm me and I'll see what I can do. I'm quite interested in this idea as I often find a need to get projects to motivate me to actually do stuff.

I would also be happy to do a run-through of any projects if you want a 2nd opinion to do a run-through of a completed project.

Oh yeah, and it's hardly a masterpeice, but it was certainly a pretty challenging shot for me...

It was much more difficult because it was a self portrait and done using a P&S camera with a poor manual focus interface.

Message edited by author 2006-04-23 12:04:04.

MikeJ

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

04/23/2006 11:56:04 AM · #7

I think you did a great job on the matches. I don't have anything as good as that, but I do like to shoot dropping stuff into soda water. Here are a few examples.

I'm always playing around with different things to find what looks good like this.

Mike

labuds

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

04/23/2006 12:09:21 PM · #8

this one is definitely a HUGE photo project.

Contact me if you need more information about how it was done.

04/24/2006 12:29:34 AM · #9

I love this shot, and admire your patience. But given as a project, people would like to do it with the help of Cloning tool in Photoshop. (Disclaimer: we are not talking of challenge rules this time, and this is not to undermine your effort, in any way).

Originally posted by labuda:

this one is definitely a HUGE photo project.

Contact me if you need more information about how it was done.

04/24/2006 12:36:58 AM · #10

It would be worthwhile to make the distinction in your book of pictures that need to be created using in-camera, photography techniques or PP, editing techniques.

To me, there is a huge difference. One seems like it's a lot easier than the other (because it can be done from the comfort of an armchair).

Those that read a book on photography projects might actually be more interested in doing a project that sharpened their skills, but there might be those looking to do it the easy way. I think that this might be unimportant for you as an author as your intent does not change based on the intent of the reader.

Anastasia

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

04/24/2006 03:45:53 AM · #11

and what about this one?

04/24/2006 03:51:45 AM · #12

These 3 images are all in camera techniques with only standard editing such as levels and stuff....no cloning or selections.

Judi

04/24/2006 03:59:26 AM · #13

Hey anastasia, we'd all love to see how you did that on your heart photo. That's fantastic!

Anastasia

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

04/24/2006 04:10:33 AM · #14

Originally posted by eschelar:

Hey anastasia, we'd all love to see how you did that on your heart photo. That's fantastic!

only in the book :P
but seriously it was very very easy, new layer, cloned two hart shapes in, stamped some out, blured and reduced to one level. that is it.

04/25/2006 12:15:52 AM · #15

Some other interesting projects are:

All of these are my favorites.

Message edited by author 2006-04-25 00:18:11.

GIS_boy

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM for Canon

04/25/2006 03:22:03 AM · #16

I don't know if these would be suitable, but I'm happy for them to be considered:

04/26/2006 01:02:08 AM · #17

Let me elaborate a little more. The projects should mostly be stilllife (manmade, as opposed to found stilllife). The idea is to show innovativeness on the part of photographer.

04/26/2006 01:14:21 AM · #18

04/26/2006 03:42:28 AM · #19

I love your this image, and would like to know more about the background.

04/26/2006 03:52:59 AM · #20

I like this one too, but not sure whether this is a single shot.

04/26/2006 03:59:51 AM · #21

Originally posted by kbhatia1967:

I love your this image, and would like to know more about the background.

That was easy. I just shot that image in my kitchen with a white backboard with a spotlight shining on it. I had my son hold a card up between the light and my daughter to eliminate any light going onto Kita.

I shot in RAW and then on the PC changed the WB to shade and that gave me the orange hue....simple!!

04/26/2006 04:14:11 AM · #22

Originally posted by kbhatia1967:

I like this one too, but not sure whether this is a single shot.

Here is a excerpt from the about of this image -

"This is the list of images used for this image.

- Cupids body and half bow
- Cupids legs in position
- Cupids tail (only because I couldn't fit it into one of the above shots)
- Cupids arrow
- Cupids wings
- Hearts
- Sky

I cut everything out and then started merging. ie. Cupids body, legs and tail and wings. I then duplicated is bow and positioned it correctly.

All images were placed together as one and arranged as seen.

The hearts were duplicated and resized and positioned.

The arrow was duplicated and a part motion blur added.

Lighting and colour was then corrected both individually and as one.

I hope someone likes it.

In answer to one of the comments this image took 54 layers and 30 masks."

04/27/2006 03:01:19 AM · #23

Thanks for the inputs. This one is too complex for my target audience!