The Approaching Anniversary - and Episode 52 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

When I set the Self Portrait Challenge last week, I genuinely felt there was a good chance I would only get 2 or 3 submissions.

For all the reasons mentioned in last blog post (see – Self Portrait Challenge - and Episode 51 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres), I knew it was a big ask for anyone to step that far out of their comfort zone, and post their image for other people to see.

And yet, 20 different people submitted a total of 43 images.

I was gobsmacked!

The degree of thought, imagination, and time most people put into their photos was quite astounding – from making outfits and backdrops, to creative lighting, to playing with the post-processing.

I was also impressed with the way some had creatively obscured their faces so it was still clearly a self portrait, but we still don't really know what they look like. The fear or dislike of their own image still didn't stop them taking part.

And with in excess of 300 comments during the live broadcast, the viewers and participants were keenly active throughout the podcast.

And so another show concluded at just over 2 hours long.

I've got to watch out for this, as the knock on effect means by the time I've reviewed and edited it ready for overnight rendering (before I can upload it to YouTube and embed it on this blog), I'm finding I'm not actually getting to bed until 2.30am.

I would like to think next week's would be a little more sedate, but it's unlikely.

This coming Tuesday marks the one year anniversary since I began these podcasts back at the beginning of April 2020, a couple of weeks after we went into Covid Lockdown. I had been wondering how I could keep my presence reasonably high so that when it was all over in 3 months (ha ha!) potential clients wouldn't have forgotten about me.

I've been thinking I need to mark the occasion with some kind of special challenge or submission, and the self portrait challenge was originally one of my ideas for it.

However I've decided I would like people to send me their best photo, and we will go through the submissions together with a mood of sharing and celebration.

At the end of last year I asked people to send me their favourite photo of 2020, and many of them were not about any kind of technical excellence, but of emotional attachment to a person or experience.

This time, however, I want to see what you consider to be your best work. Whether that's because it's scored well in contests and competitions, or because it was a photo that turned out so much better than you could have hoped for. 

But you can only pick 1 – you have to choose – and then tell me about the photo, and why you chose it!

This episode will not be about critique, it will be about sharing triumphs.

If you would like to take part, stick your photo either into the Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/events/136527268350220/

or in the Discussion section of the event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/172827878009511/

Try and get it in before the end of the weekend, or by Monday (5th April) at the latest. Anything that arrives on Tuesday runs the risk of not being included in the podcast.

And then, make sure you tune in on Tuesday 6th April at 7.30pm (UK time) where we'll go through the photos together, and hopefully we will all become inspired by some of the submissions to go and try out new things with our photography.

Meanwhile, enjoy episode 52 below!

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
7:04 - Introduction to the Self Portrait Photo Challenge
10:28 - Reviewing images on the theme "Self Portrait " submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
21:30 - the awarding of Smug Points
1:08:42 - High ISO and noisy images
1:20:26 - The strange thing of looking more like our relatives in photos
1:26:50 - Using the interval settings when doing self portraits
1:57:38 - Coming up next week - your best photo
2:02:00 - End

If you found this interesting/useful/entertaining, then please consider supporting these podcasts and blog posts via buymeacoffee.com/kimayres

Also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/kimayres – to help me build the numbers.

And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres  Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/

Self Portrait Challenge - and Episode 51 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

Last night felt like one of the most packed podcasts I've done to date.

At 2 hours long it is a biggie, but if felt like it had about 3 hours worth of material crammed into it.

Part of that was me pulling out all the stops to try and convince viewers to take part in next week's Self Portrait Challenge.

Despite the fact we appear to live in a selfie culture, most people are very uncomfortable with having their photo taken. And most photographers consider one of the biggest benefits to being the one who is holding the camera, is they don't have to be in front of it.

Not only is self portraiture technically tricky – unless the camera is tethered to a laptop or tablet, you can't see the image you are trying to compose, at the most crucial moment of the camera going click – it is emotionally challenging too.

To start with, because we are used to seeing ourselves in the mirror, we are uncomfortable seeing our faces the way the rest of the world sees them. But as well as being the wrong way round, we then see our faces at other angles we are less familiar with. Additionally we are hypercritical of our own image and notice every single line, wrinkle, mole, scar and/or sag.

On top of that there is a self consciousness about appearing to show off and draw attention to ourselves.

While I can only talk anecdotally, in my experience most people who have an obsession with photography tend to be more introverted. Sometimes I become very aware in that sense I am one of the few exceptions to the rule.

So to ask a group of self conscious introverts, who have constant doubts about their ability with the camera, to take an interesting photo of themselves, was always going to be a difficult sell.

But I do feel that for all the frustrations, it can also be really rewarding in terms of developing your photography.

Artists throughout the millennia have done self portraits as a way to practice techniques and develop their skills without the need for a model.

And this challenge is about more than just doing a quick selfie. I'm wanting people to create a scene or be a character – something more cinematic or theatrical – to have a sense of story.

There is an additional advantage in that it's often far easier to place yourself in front of the camera (or other people) as a constructed character than as yourself, if you are feeling vulnerable or self conscious - because the image isn't about you, it's about the character.

It doesn't matter if the character looks foolish or unattractive – it's acting – you're playing a role and everyone looking knows that, so it lets you off the hook of self consciousness.

But it's also about constructing a scene – going beyond just capturing what is already there to designing the image. In a way it's like still life, but with you in it as well.

So by doing all this, you cannot help but grow and develop your skills and understanding of photography – of light, composition, and story.

My fear from the start is it might be a step too far and I'll be lucky if I get only one or two submissions.

My hope is that many more will have been sold by my passionate explanations and sales pitch last night to go way beyond their comfort zones and give it a go.

I have just under a week to find out whether I might have just scared all my viewers away...

If you would like to take part, stick your photo either into the Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/events/136527268350220/

or in the Discussion section of the event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/124973092920811/

Try and get it in before the end of the weekend, or by Monday (29th March) at the latest. Anything that arrives on Tuesday runs the risk of not being included in the podcast.

You can use a phone, tablet, point-and-shoot or DSLR (or mirrorless).

And then, make sure you tune in on Tuesday 30th March at 7.30pm (UK time) where I'll go through the photos, and give comments and feedback, and hopefully we will all become inspired by some of the submissions to go and try out new things with our photography.

Meanwhile, enjoy episode 51 below!

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
5:57 - Introduction to the idea of selfies and self portraits
19:05 - Why we don't like photos of ourselves
26:49 - Avoiding clichés in the self portrait challenge
29:10 - Examples of Self Portraits
31:49 - Getting your self portrait in focus
39:07 - Play at being a character
51:53 - Setting myself a self portrait challenge
1:06:18 - Critique of images submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
1:09:25 - Using "selective colour"
1:31:25 - Explanation of Shallow Depth of Field and Aperture
1:45:35 - 6 ways to edit a photo of a horse
2:00:10 - Looking for ideas for the anniversary episode in 2 weeks
2:01:05 - Coming up next week - the self portrait challenge
2:03:32 - End

If you found this interesting/useful/entertaining, then please consider supporting these podcasts and blog posts via buymeacoffee.com/kimayres

Also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/kimayres – to help me build the numbers.

And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres  Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/

Anniversaries, Vaccines, and Episode 50 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

Episode 50 felt like a bit of a milestone – half a hundred episodes!

Considering when I began I thought I would try it for 3 months – so had to think what I would discuss for the following 13 weeks – the idea I might reach episode 50 was too distant and strange to think about.

But while I thought about marking the occasion, I realised if I am going to celebrate I may as well leave it another 3 weeks, when we hit the 1st anniversary of the Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres live video podcasts.

I feel I ought to do something special for it – some kind of challenge perhaps, or review. I'm not completely sure yet. Last night I asked the viewers to send me their ideas, so I'll just have to see if any suggestions turn up. But if you have any thoughts, do put them in the comments.

Tomorrow – March 18th – marks another anniversary – the point where we went into Lockdown a few days before the rest of the country did officially.

A couple of days before we'd decided not to proceed with the launch of my daughter, Meg's, gluten-free baking business, Megalicious, planned for March 21st which is also World Down Syndrome Day.

At that time, we thought it would be postponed until mid to late summer 2020.

Not long after, we realised that actually we were going to be in this for the long haul. Meg's Down's Syndrome makes her extremely vulnerable to the effects of Covid, while Maggie and I both have other conditions that put us at risk. So each time the governments started "easing restrictions", it made no difference to us. We knew we wouldn't really be able to move in the world again until a vaccine was available.

Later today I get my first jab. Meg had hers 4 weeks ago and Maggie a week later. Both felt pretty awful the following day, but were fine by the day after, so I'm not planning on doing anything much tomorrow.

Another 12 weeks or so until the 2nd shot, then 2 or 3 weeks for it to come up to full efficiency.

So around the end of June or early July we should be able to start taking our first tentative steps back into the world of hugs, meeting friends and family for coffee, and photo shoots I can do indoors.

It's a strange mix of hope and fear.

Meanwhile, enjoy episode 50 below!

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
7:15 - Introduction to The Open Book in Wigtown
10:18 - Photo shoot in The Open Book
29:30 - Introduction to the idea of the Critique section
31:29 - Critique of images submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
1:23:15 - Coming up next week
1:41:00 - End

If you found this interesting/useful/entertaining, then please consider supporting these podcasts and blog posts via buymeacoffee.com/kimayres

Also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/kimayres – to help me build the numbers.

And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres  Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/

Obsession - and Episode 49 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

There was a moment in last night's podcast about the Minimalism Photo Challenge I'd set, when it struck me just how obsessive I, and the regular viewers and contributors of the podcast, actually are with photography.

I'd been reviewing an image by Marie (see 1 hour, 11 minutes into the episode if you're interested) which had quite a complex set up and had resulted in several broken items before she got the shot she was after.

In that moment, I was reminded of Rosie's comment a couple of weeks back where she had spent many hours in a garden shed to try and get some bird shots, and my friend who would think nothing of camping on top of a mountain to capture a stunning sunrise over the landscape, and how many people have been amazed at the lengths I've gone to to create some of my images.

And then later in the same podcast Viji revealed how she had been inspired by a photo she'd seen and wished to recreate. However, there weren't any buildings where she lived like the one in the image, so she created a model with board, paper, paint and glue, in order to get a shot she wanted.

And I realised the simple fact is we (the podcast followers and I) are obsessed by photography. It's not just some kind of simple or passing interest – it possesses a part of our soul.

Every day there are hundreds of millions of people taking photos with their phones, but they don't have quite the same level of obsession with the act and art of photography.

The simple test is how far are you prepared to go to get the photo you want?

My landscape photos are OK, but nothing super-special, because most of my shots are taken within a few metres or where I've parked the car. I'm not prepared to trek into the hills, or get up at ridiculously early hours to catch the sunrise.

My wildlife images are generally very poor because I do not have the patience to sit in a hide for hours on end, or research the behavioural or migration patterns of particular species.

But I will spend hours on end chatting with people, developing ideas, collaborating with hairdressers, makeup artists, and people who can make or find outfits, props and locations for an epic staged narrative photo shoot.

I think this is probably true for all artists and creatives – those who eventually become good or great at what they do, just wouldn't let go, no matter how many obstacles were put in their path.

It's not just an interest, it is an obsession.

Why else would I spend half my week creating a 2 hour podcast about photography, if there wasn't something pulling deep within me?

And why else would certain people from different locations, different backgrounds, different cultures, different religions, different socio-economic groups, different political outlooks, and different ages, give up 2 hours of their day every Tuesday to watch me?

Because, I think, we connect on this obsessional level when it comes to photography.

And I love it!

Meanwhile, here's the full podcast from last night.

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
3:57 - Introduction to the Minimalism Photo Challenge
6:43 - Reviewing images on the theme "Minimalism" submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
11:04 - What are you chasing?
30:31 - Escape - a yearning...
53:48 - The usefulness of bracketing images
1:15:35 - We are obsessives
1:42:30 - What is the range of minimalism?
1:49:30 - End

If you found this interesting/useful/entertaining, then please consider supporting these podcasts and blog posts via buymeacoffee.com/kimayres

Also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/kimayres – to help me build the numbers.

And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres  Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/

Minimalism Photo Challenge - and Episode 48 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

Minimalism, and the use of Negative Space are terms that crop up periodically in photography, and I was recently asked what the difference is.

It seemed like a good topic to discuss on the podcasts so in the first part of last night's episode I go into a bit of detail and show examples, and then I set a Minimalism Photo Challenge for next week, open to anyone who wants to join in.

In brief, negative space is any part of the image that isn't the subject. It could be an area of wall, or paving, or sky, or sea – something the subject is placed in, but is there only as background to help give shape to it.

Now while that sounds like it's a bit of an afterthought, if used well, it can greatly enhance, or even change, the mood of an image.

Minimalism is a style of composition where things are cut back to the bare minimum. A single leaf on a pond, a curved line in the sand, or an apple on a large empty table are all examples of minimalism.

So in order to emphasise the sense of simplicity, a minimalist image will often employ large amounts of negative space.

If it's not something you've played with much before, then it's quite a fun thing to get into with your photography, as it forces you to look at things in a different way.

So I've set a Minimalism Photo Challenge for next week's podcast. The subject can be anything you like, but what I would also like from you is to know is why have you chosen what you have – what grabbed you about creating that particular image?

However, if you find you're struggling, then you can still submit a photo you're having difficulty with - just explain the problem and I can include suggestions and ideas in the podcast too.

Stick your photo either into this event page in the Discussion section, or into the Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/events/136527268350220/

Try and get it in before the end of the weekend, or by Monday (8th March) at the latest. Anything that arrives on Tuesday runs the risk of not being included in the podcast.

You can use a phone, tablet, point-and-shoot or DSLR (or mirrorless).

And then, make sure you tune in on Tuesday 9th March at 7.30pm (UK time) where I'll go through the photos, and give comments and feedback, and hopefully we will all become inspired by some of the submissions to go and try out new things with our photography.

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Changing the subject somewhat, the painterly photo I created of my daughter, Meg, for last week's podcast received a lot of attention when I put it up on Facebook and Instagram.

Now while that kind of reaction is always satisfying, I was somewhat surprised when someone made reference to Vermeer's painting, "Girl With A Pearl Earring".

And then someone else did the same.

And another.

And another.

In fact I've had a least 8 different people say that photo of Meg reminds them of it.

And yet, apart from the fact that it's a portrait of a young woman, they are nothing alike – different expressions, different clothing, different colour palette.

But that didn't stop more than half a dozen responses referencing Vermeer.

However, when I thought about it, I realised this actually proved the very point I was trying to make in last week's podcast, which was if you use the tropes of a particular painting style in your photo – the lighting, the composition, the texture, etc, then people will automatically connect the dots and exclaim just how much your photo looks like a painting.

And in this case, it wasn't just the fact it looked like a painting, it looked like a 17th Century Dutch portrait. So people's minds latched on to the most well known portrait of that period and place.

No one said it reminded them of the Mona Lisa, because the style wasn't 16th Century Italian.

Once I realised this, I allowed myself a wee smug moment...

Meanwhile, here's the full podcast from last night.

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
5:04 - Introduction to the idea of Negative Space
15:50 - Introduction to the idea of Minimalism
33:27 - Introduction to the Minimalism Photo Challenge
37:38 - When a photo gets mistaken for a painting it looks nothing like...
45:00 - Critique of images submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
1:39:20 - Coming up next week
1:41:00 - End

If you found this interesting/useful/entertaining, then please consider supporting these podcasts and blog posts via buymeacoffee.com/kimayres

Also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/kimayres – to help me build the numbers.

And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres  Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/