Rebecca's Crop Conumdrum

This the 'crop conumdrum' from Rebecca's blog given the Fibonacci treatment. Apologies in advance, Rebecca, I've screen grabbed the picture without permission, it's a great picture with terrific atmosphere.

This is the original.

With spiral overlay. Putting the start of the spiral directly over the tattoo.

The result

Post Production Image Processing

Including Using the Fibonacci Sequence

I'm a bit of a novice with Photoshop so any advice is welcome here. I'm sure my approach is a bit Neanderthal but it seems to work and has improved my hit rate of reasonable pictures.
Initially, doing the usual quick flick through, I can start to see which pictures I'm interested in.

For the web site we need some pictures for a column on the left which will be 206 pixels wide, some will be square (206x206) others can be longer for more interest on other pages.

The main body of text has pictures which are around 309 pixels wide. Pixel width is constrained by the actual layout of the web site initially. We also have to try to make the picture relevant to the text of the page where possible.



So having had a scout through the pictures, I've picked one to work on and jiggled around with the size on screen using my transparent overlay to put the centre of interest, in this case the main hand, in the start of the curve and seeing that the towel edge followed neatly into the spiral. From the rectangle, I could see I didn't need any more of Lisa's elbow or the right hand, which I probably would have included otherwise. The overlay is loosely attached to the edge of the monitor using pealable tape.


This is going to be one for the right hand column so will eventually be only 206 pixcels wide, I don't need the lower square to be filled, so I make the crop and save as.




The tattoo is removed using the clone tool with different radii and opacity and takes quite a while, the final picture is going to be at low resolution anyway. The difficulty is in keeping the flesh tone and shape especially around the edge of Les's fingers.

The picture is switched to Greyscale mode and the levels adjusted, contrast is increased. Again, at this stage I 'save as' a .jpg but into a new folder called Les Finished.




The next step is to alter the image size for the web site, making the picture 206 pixcels wide and 262 high. Alot of detail is lost during this resizing and I usually find that using filter and sharpen gives more edge contrast to the small picture



At this point the picture has come down from 4.06MB of the original to 26.4KB for the web site. For ease of selection I saved this to a different folder called Web Osteo and called it 206Dsc161 (no spaces allowed for web upload and we can see it's a 206 wide)

Paul added a hidden gallery page to the web site and uploaded the pictures for the client to select and give feed back. We could then insert them into the correct positions.

The only way to see how they look in context is to see them on a web page.

Les Cox Osteopath Web Site

Then I start on the next......

Details from the Osteopath Shoot

Purpose
The aims of this shoot were two fold, to get pictures for the Les Cox web site update and for my 'Hands' project for C and G Level 3. Our model was a friend of Les's, Lisa who also has her own therapy business and is a keen photographer. Les and I had worked through a 'Client Brief' and reviewed images that he liked, these were printed and referred to during the shoot. I'd found having the printed reference pictures very helpful when I'd assisted Jim with his session.
Equipment
Bowens Esprit 500 Lights pack from college including mains and synch cables.
White Umbrella Reflects.
Nikon D90 with Nikkor18-105VR. Manual exposure, image quality Fine and NEF(Nikon Raw)
ISO 100, Speed 1/100 various apertures. Auto focus has continually proved better than my eyesight.
Universal Hot shoe Adapter.
Sekonic Light Meter.
Other Props and Clothing
White Towels, various sizes.
White dressing gown (for model)
Small white pillow
Mobile therapy table with cover.
Tunic top(Les)
Sets
Two areas were set up. One as above in the diagram and another low light set with black background, using a large fleece blanket, black sheet and black fleece draped over a seat.
The low light set was illuminated with one side light on its lowest setting, with a white diffuser.
We discussed the main safety issues which were trip hazards, temperature of light heads and model comfort. Cables were kept clear by running round the back of the lights and care with placement of the legs of the stands. We did not need to use the extra room heater available if Lisa was cold.
Technique
For the first set, my main aim was to get good quality pictures at the correct exposure and in focus over a the whole subject area. I planned to used the 'Who Cares?' aperture of f11 and set the main light to give as near to this as possible using the light meter and some trial shots. The other light was set quite high and aimed downwards just filling in shadows on the background without really adding much else. I'd repainted the background wall and removed and filled picture hooks. From previous sessions we'd found that the colour worked well as a reasonably clean, neutral background and gave quite a clinical appearance in keeping with the client's requirements.
We took our required images and reviewed on camera as we went.
Contact Sheets

The second set with black background and low light was used to get the spine and muscle contour shots. Again taking care to place cables in the low light. I used wider apertures to decrease depth of field and hand held camera for both sets.

Try to Relax

Nikon D90, VR 18-105mm at 32mm, ISO1000 1/100sec f/5.6

Blueboy Simpson uses up the last of his annual leave in the natural sun light from an east facing window through slight cloud.

Osteopath Shoot

These are the first pictures from the home studio session with Les Cox Osteopath and Lisa.

Jane Bown Pictures

The main reason for the trip to the NPG was for the Irving Penn Exhibition, but I nipped downstairs to the cafe for a sandwich and drink, in a small area to the side of the cafe was an exhibiton of some of Jane Bown's pictures. What it is about seeing the actual pictures that is so different from seeing them in books I don't know, but they took my breath away. The range of subjects was particularly diverse, from Cilla, the Beatles to the Queen and Margaret Thatcher.

Hands and Fibonacci

Looking at Hands

I decided to test this sequence of numbers by actually measuring, it was said to apply to the bones of the hand. Looking at it logically I thought it ought to work, because the hand curls into a spiral to form a fist.
I downloaded a normal hand Xray and measured it, but I could not find the pattern of numbers by direct means, so, trying a different start number, I made a line 3cm long and magnified the image so that the distal phalanx (bone in the finger tip) was exactly 3cm. Then, without looking at the figures, I drew the rest of the lines in. Then I checked the sequence 3, 5, 8, 12.7

Boughton House, Northamptonshire.

These are from a visit with the Leicester and Rutland Gardens Trust.
The surrounding landscape is Grade 1 listed, so the new installation had to be sympathetic to this. The size and scale were amazing.

The design by Kim Wilkie is based around the Golden Rectangle and Fibonacci sequences.

Message For Ruth

This month's Practical Photography has quite a big article on shooting flowers with lots of project ideas to try, I'm trying not to get sucked in.
It also has an article on recreating the Keeler/Morley picture using a doll, which, in my opinion, is stupid, hideous and ought to be an arrestable offense. It produces a vile picture which I'm not publishing.



PS: I subscibed to Practical Photog. using 14 quids worth of Tesco vouchers (costs £3.99 per issue)

Composition and Fibonacci

This book is by David Prakel and from the library, I'm really enjoying it. It includes the basic rules of composition, including viewpoint, perspective and scale; the formal elements, such as point, line, shape, form, texture, pattern, tone, and colour; how to organise space using frames, balance and space.

The chapter on the Golden Section and Fibonacci (Leonado of Pisa) a twelth century mathmatician was particularly well explained.

He discovered a remarkable series of numbers starting with 0 and 1 adding the two previous numbers gives the next number hence 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 etc. The ratio of each successive pair is 1.6 and this approximates to the Golden Number 1.618034 identified by the Greek letter Phi.

Spirals based on the 'Fibonacci Sequence' are found in sea shells, seed distribution in sunflower heads, plant growth and even the proportions of our body. It complies with our sense of harmony and proportion. The Parthanon is Greece is based around these proportions.


So I thought I'd have ago at drawing the spiral, starting with 1cm squares and adding the curve.

Drawing it on tracing paper so that I could use it as an overlay it made a very pleasing curve as predicted. Then it occurred to me to use it on one of my photos from the studio shoot with Saffy and Paul that I'd been trying different crops with.

I think this will be a helpful tool, especially if I could load it as a layer in Photoshop. I'd not have tried this crop without it but it seems to work in this case.

Studio Session College 20 March 2010

Saffy and Paul





This was the outline of the lighting plan as set up by Steve. The 2 wafers nearest the back were set to flood the white back wall. Soft boxes front left and right to light subject and one above camera position with a dish.

The main problems were photographing a shiney, black moving target.
Once the lights were in position Steve left. With hindsight, I realised what I should have done then was increased the settings using the light meter, however I missed this cue and carried on to take underexposed pics, thinking the lights were set.
I checked in the camera and thought they were dark.
Doh! This is my natural hair colour and I have to dye it to get it brown.

Fortunately, I realised and changed and then did get some OK pics although my sitters were understandably starting to lose the will to live by this stage.

Best Wishes Eric

Glad to hear you are on the mend.
PS: Yes, you did frighten the pants off us, if that is any consolation!

Osteopath Test Shoot

Following on with the Hands theme, I've been asked to produce some photographs for a local osteopath Les Cox with the intention of using them for his web site.
I've worked through a client brief with him and we have made arrangements for a shoot with a model. We both thought it was a good idea to have a practice and Dawn was roped in to lie down for a bit. The pics above were just in natural light and gave us an idea for table positioning, angles and we have researched the type of pictures Les requires.

The aim was cover what props we'd need and the best approach.
We've discussed
1. Model Release Form (thanks, Jim)
2. Suitable clothing.
3. Pillows, towels, dressing gown.
4. Closed set/privacy.
5. H and S and model comfort.
6. Booked lights to pick up Thursday am.

Karen

f10 1/125sec ISO 200
focal length 58mm Auto focus

Karen and I have known each other for nearly 30 years, since we both qualified as radiographers. (We were child proteges and qualified at the age of 8, which was legal in those days!)
She has lovely hands, nails and I asked her if she would sit for me with the aim of trying to include hers hands in some pictures and to try different sitting positions. I'd asked her to bring a couple of different tops and to wear just a light foundation and lip gloss.

The set is in my room at home with the neutral blue wall (Farrow and Ball Light Blue) and black back drop. We mainly used one light (Bowens Esprit 500) set high behind camera position and a white, foam core reflector directly in front of Karen.

I'd tried to make a snoot, after chatting with Vinnie and having a look at various internet postings, with the idea of putting light separately directly onto the hands. I had high hopes because it was beautifully designed and engineered, see above. It was not successful mainly because of no internal reflection it just absorbed light (and heat) it also made the poses un natural. We had good light on the hands anyway without it, so we abandoned that idea.

I found setting up using the light meter to be a very helpful way of engaging the sitter, I give a quick explanation then give them the job of holding it. It gives them something to do, just enough distraction to initially relax. Using auto focus on the eye area worked better than my eyesight, I checked the focus and exposure in the camera monitor as I took the pics.

f10 1/125sec ISO 200
focal length 52mm Auto focus

I'm happy with the pictures we got. I may have been able to improve them with a back, light on the hair but struggle to get far enough away not to light the background. We were careful to set up with the cables around the back of the stands and tripod and used a mains extension cable to help.

Statement of Intent. Studio Photography Alternative

The right hand of a retired miner who lost two
fingers rescuing a colleague

Hands.

A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered body part normally located at the end of an arm or forelimb of a primate. This ability to grasp marks us out from many other species.
Hands are the chief organs for physically manipulating the environment, used for both gross motor skills like digging a hole to plant a tree and fine motor skills such as writing the Lord’s Prayer in a pin head. The owner of the hand pictured is a now the grave digger for Measham. The fingertips contain some of the most dense areas of nerve endings on the whole body. They give us the richest source of tactile feedback, and have the greatest positioning capability of the body; thus the sense of touch is intimately associated with hands.
We can be hurt by hands or healed by hands. Like other paired organs (eyes, ears, legs), each hand is dominantly controlled by the opposing brain hemisphere, and thus handedness, or preferred hand choice for single-handed activities such as writing with a pen, reflects a significant individual trait.
The hands play a large part in body language, transmitting numerous non-verbal communication cues. It is estimated up to 70% of meanings transmitted between people are conveyed by body language.
The purpose of this theme is to understand more closely how body language, particularly in relation to hands, works and how including the hands in a picture can tell us much more about the person, elevating it from a photograph to a portrait. The applications are to improve my portraiture photography and the ultimate aim is to produce pictures which could be of use for an Osteopathic web site.

I am particularly impressed by the work of Karsh. Also from the medical photography by DS Wilkinson whose strengths in tact and sensitivity as well as technical ability led to him contributing towards many research papers and medical literature.

Work is to include studio lighting and natural daylight.

Equipment:
Nikon D90. Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
Nikon SB 600 Speedlight
Home studio with various backdrops and moveable wall.
Bowens Esprit 500 Lamps borrowed from college with Spill Kills, umbrellas, stands and cables.
Sekonic L308S Lightmeter.
Velbon Delta Tripod
Nikon Remote

Documentation:
Client Brief Form for Web Site Application
Model Release Form
Health and Safety Risk Assessment

Picture added after comment. Seeing the pattern repetition down the line of the knuckles, held together by the dumbell ends. The diagonal line of book supports and underlines. Closer inspection reveals deviation from the norm ie. lost fingers not immediately obvious because of the line through remaining fingertips.

Burton Photo Society

Competition Pictures for 18th March - Motion

Fiddler in the Chair

Still Green Lady

Reggae Rhythm

Yousef Karsh. 23 Dec 1908 – July 13 2002 (Died Age 93)

Born December 23, 1908 in the city of Mardin in the then Ottoman Empire which is now Turkey, he fled to escape persecution at the age of 14 eventually living with his Canadian photographer Uncle George Nakash. His father could neither read nor write but had exquisite taste, his mother was well read and an educated lady which was rare in those days. Seeing his nephew’s potential, he arranged an apprenticeship for him with the portrait photographer John Garo in Boston Massachusetts.

On his return to Canada he established a studio near to the Canadian seat of government in Ontario and was discovered by the Prime Minister Mackenzie King He was asked for portrait sittings with many visiting dignitaries. He rose to international fame after photographing a glowering Winston Churchill. He had just two minutes to photograph him and had removed the cigar from Churchill’s mouth which provoked the expression. The image captured was thought to capture the indomitable spirit of Britain and Churchill of the time.

Churchill said of Karsh that “He could make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed.” Karsh titled the picture “The Roaring Lion” however the picture taken immediately afterwards, as Churchill’s face broke into a smile, was Karsh’s favourite.



This picture was among the first to bear the copyright “Karsh of Ottawa.”

His hallmark incandescent theatrical lighting lionized his sitters, creating spectacular stirring portraits of his influential and powerful clients. Though he said his chief joy was to ‘photograph the great in heart, in mind and in spirit, whether they be famous or humble.’ He is notable for including hands in his pictures often lit to great effect.

“The endless fascination of these people for me lies in what I call their inward power. It is part of the elusive secret that hides in everyone, and it has been my life’s work to try to capture it on film. The mask we present to others and, too often, to ourselves may lift for only a second—to reveal that power in an unconscious gesture, a raised brow, a surprised response, a moment of repose. This is the moment to record.”

Karsh and Kermit from the book American Legends
Appearing with the Muppets, the modern day equivalent of being on the Simpsons.

He was deservedly called a master portraitist and is said to have bought honour to all Canadians, of the 100 notable people of the century, named by International Who’s Who (2000) Karsh had photographed 51 of them, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and then promoted to Companion, equivalent to a knighthood. Canada Post used his images in a series of stamps released to honour the 100th anniversary of his birth. His traumatic early years left an indelible mark on his memory and in later life he was still remained grateful for small things like running water.

He closed his studio in1992 retiring to Boston in 1997. His archives were put in order in 1987 and acquired by the National Archives of Canada. He’d lived a particularly long and productive life, he’d passed on his skills to many research fellows who’d assisted him in the same way he’d helped John Garo and he found this particularly rewarding.

Karsh Pictures


Karsh the Man Biography

D S Wilkinson FCR (By agreement with Tutor)

D S WILKINSON FCR. 21 May 1919 - 9 July 2009

Background

Radiography started in 1895 with the discovery of X-rays.
Initially, many kinds of staff conducted radiography in hospitals, including physicists, photographers, doctors, nurses, and engineers. The medical specialty of radiology grew up over many years around the new technology. When new diagnostic tests were developed, it was natural for the radiographers to be trained in and to adopt this new technology. Radiographers now often do fluoroscopy, computed tomography, mammography, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging as well. Although a nonspecialist dictionary might define radiography quite narrowly as "taking X-ray images", this has long been only part of the work of "X-ray departments", radiographers, and radiologists.

1948 saw the creation of the NHS.

Mr Wilkinson was the first radiographer to be appointed in 1948. He left the army after the war as a qualified radiographer and was chosen for the job at Sutton Cottage Hospital. The newly formed NHS Trust was Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield Management Committee. Mr Wilkinson took on the responsibility of commissioning radiographic equipment for the whole district.

He was at the forefront of technology at the time. There was no established model to follow. However, an Xray Department is much more than the sum of its equipment, he was directly responsible for the day to day running of the departments which would include darkroom, clerical, cleaning, portering and nursing staff as well as radiographers. He quietly instilled a loyalty in the workforce through his total commitment to the wellbeing of patients, his professionalism and dedication. At this time he was District Superintendent Radiographer. His own ‘status’ was unimportant to him and he treated everyone from cleaner to consultant with the same care and respect. We all have weaknesses, but, with a natural ability he looked for and understood colleagues’ attributes and developed their strengths.

Whilst the job of District Superintendent alone was a Herculean task, Mr Wilk maintained concern for the importance of the professional development of Radiography as a career and the increasing roles that Radiographers were well placed to undertake. He served on the council of the College of Radiographers, this he viewed as ‘an honour’. He was shaping the way the profession would develop. We were encouraged to undertake post graduate training long before CPD had been thought of.



Good Hope Radiology gained a reputation for cutting edge technology with the installation of the newest invention – Ultrasound equipment was commissioned by Mr. Wilkinson. Radiographers, with our understanding of anatomy and care of the patient, were trained to use the equipment through the College of Radiographers. Another first for the profession. All qualified staff were offered the chance to train for a ‘speciality’. Under Mr Wilk’s guidance, radiographers from Good Hope became some of the first in the country to gain the DMU and DRI.

The Imaging Department grew to encompass Xray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Cardiology and CT scanning and by this time also undertook student radiographer training. Changes were also rapidly happening in the area of image processing. Under Mr Wilkinson’s supervision and with his foresight, the change to ‘Day Light Loading’ took place. New automatic equipment would take the exposed film out of its cassette and put it through the processor, whilst replacing a new film and closing the cassette. This replaced ‘Wet Developing’ and was a major advance totally changing the Xray department for the better. All of the outlying hospital departments also made the change with Wilkie’s persuasive lead.

During this time Mr Wilkinson was also Medical Photographer for Good Hope and the surrounding district, a task which requires particular skill, tact and sympathy and to which he was well suited.

With all of the progresses in imaging going on, there was still a call for ordinary Xrays. What Mr Wilk called ‘Bread and Butter’ radiography. Many of the radiographs he took were used in the literature of the day. He was well known for executing a perfect ‘PA Sternum’, a notoriously difficult shot. He contributed to the radiographers’ bible - Positioning in Radiography by K T Clarke. He was a friend and contemporary of the Chesney Twins, Muriel and Noreen, who produced many books on the training of radiographers which lay the basis of study today.

Mr Wilkinson qualified as a radiographer in the Army during WW2. He joined Sutton Cottage Hospital in 1948 with the introduction of the newly formed NHS. His retirement in 1983 did not stop his continued devotion to the profession. He maintained support and contact with colleagues and the Imaging Department at Good Hope.

Article in Walsall on Line.

Having seen all these changes through, the message he continues to pass on to this day is that "We should never stop learning."