Hello, and welcome to this new series of videos,
which I am calling Pictures of the week.
I am a picture editor for a national newspaper in the UK
and I see thousands of pictures
every week from photographers and agencies
from all around the world. Many are similar - they cover the same news
and sports events, but some stand out as exceptional.
In this series I want to show you pictures that you may not have seen in the newspapers,
magazines or websites that you use.
so the first one here is a cracker. Surfing pictures are always dramatic and dynamic,
but because there are so many variables, it is really difficult to compose a great picture
that gives wider context. Surfing photographer Stu Gibson has managed
to shoot this fantastic picture, which has just won the Nikon Surf photo competition
this year.
Shot at Shipstern bluff, off Tasmania, he has the surfer coming straight down the
barrel towards us- literally cutting his way between the enormous natural energy of the
sea and the immoveable cliffs set on the right. It is this framing, in this context that makes
this a great picture. The surfer is in the eye of the storm, in control as he is being
driven remorselessly by this overwhelming natural power to the rocks.
Now, Stu shot this on a full frame Nikon D4
with a 16mm lens. We can see some of the lens distortion on the cliffs the right, but you
don't notice any in that huge wall of water on the left. He shot at an F10 aperture ensuring
that there is a solid depth of field, making the whole frame sharp enough for a natural
view and for the viewer to be instantly immersed in the shot.
This next picture was taken at the bahrain grand prix meeting. Clive Mason is really
good all round sports photographer who works for the Getty agency. Getty have different
media clients all around the world - newspapers , magazines, TV and websites. so Clive needs
to produce a vast range of work to cover this event - feature pictures of the drivers and
teams, details of practice, fans and of course the race itself. This isn't really a picture
that would work in newspapers because of space restrictions and paper quality, but it would
look fantastic in a magazine.
There is a juxtaposition here between the fixed and static image of the car in the
bottom corner and the dynamic motion of the rest of the image in the lower third. Whilst
the foreground colours mix and blur, the night sky is a constant, leaving the viewer intrigued.
You know what it is - a formula one car, but the image leaves you to image where why and
how.
This third photo is by Zikri Maulana
and is of Traditional fishermen catching fish with their nets in Indonesia. It is actually
a clever use of silhouette, which allows the photographer to take a wide shot - showing
the beach, the fishing boat and the sea, without worrying too much about detail. The single
line of men gives a perspective that suggests that the centre of the picture is to the left
making the viewer more inquisitive about what could be just beyond the frame. Feature and
travel photography can sometimes merely record what the photographer sees rather than try
to engage the viewer with the experience. This is a really evocative shot, suggesting
much more than is actually in the picture and is a clever use by the photographer of
what is quite a limited set of components.
A great sports picture captures a split second
in time, sucks the viewer into the action and encourages them to guess at what could
have happened next. And Charlie Crowhurst has got a super picture here.
This frame freezes time at the exact
pivotal moment with the ball in mid flight and both players committed. You cant look
at this shot and not wonder how the next few moments will unfold. We are in exactly the
same position as the crowd in the background who are bewitched by what is happening in
front of them. Will they celebrate a goal or mourn a lost chance? At that split second,
either is possible.
And finally this lovely picture by Glasgow News and PR photographer Martin Shields. This
is a PR picture shot for the RSNO - the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Pr pictures are
usually taken to supply to newspapers and media outlets in order to promote an event,
a product launch or something more general like company results. To be honest, many Press
Relations officers are pretty poor when it comes to organising anything for the photographer
to photograph. They seem to think the photographer will just magic up a great image out of nothing.
But this picture is a combination of great forethought and planning by the PR and some
skilled photography by Martin. This picture was to promote a Scottish Tour
by the RSNO of Harry Potter themed concerts, and the PR not only booked a Harry Potter
look-a-like, but also an owl. Now the owl is really important here, because it stands
out so well against the background and the dark robes of the model.
So Martin must have been delighted that he had so much to work with.
However his skill is required to make
the picture come together. It is shot in a church, which is very dark, and he is dealing
with two people in dark clothes. Whilst the Model and the owl are the main components
of this picture, He also has to feature the cellist in the background, who of course visually
represents the RSNO. Martin had to set up three flash guns, one to his right, to illuminate
Harry Potter and the owl, one to his left closer to the cellist to illuminate her - you
can see the reflection of that flash in her cello, and one behind the cellist to make
the her stand out from the dark church background. Balancing all that light, whilst making sure
that the church windows and other details were still visible and contributed to the
picture, shows a photographer who really understands how to use lighting.
and all those elements together create a picture, which is eye catching and tells the message.\cf0
I hope you liked the pictures chosen for this
week. Please look in the description for links to the photographers to see more of their
work.
I will see you next time.