HNC Photography

Applied Techniques
By Mark Jewell
 Personal Evaluation of unit

Here I will be giving a self evaluation of the applied techniques unit

for my HNC Photography course at Ayrshire College 2020-2021.

Within this unit I was tasked with trying some different techniques
and specialty photography. Within this presentation I will explain
how I have achieved this and discuss each of my final three images
individually and as a body of work.
 Having considered all the different techniques or specialty areas of photography that I could
explore, I decided upon shooting Macro, High Speed Photography and Astro Photography.

I experiment with each of these areas to try and achieve the final look I was going for, and in
doing so, feel that my overall skills as a photographer grew, and I learned some new techniques
along the way. This helped me grow in confidence and push myself out of my comfort zone to
capture something different that goes against the grain, yet still fits with the brief requirements.

Taking great consideration into how I wanted my final images to turn out, I got started with
taking many different images, practicing and improving each step of the way.

Using different equipment to achieve these looks such as off camera speedlite and studio flash,
wireless remote trigger, tripod and Macro extension tubes, I further enhanced my skills and
knowledge in these other accessories which help capture that perfect image.

Below I will discuss each of my final images individually, along with some development shots
captured in the process.
Photograph 1 – High Speed Photography

60mm, f5.6, ISO 160, 1/250

This first image uses high speed sync flash to freeze

movement, with the main focus being on the droplets of
liquid being poured into the glass. This final image has
actually been cropped to show the droplets that missed
the glass, and beautifully captures the little splash of
liquid on the surface.

I achieved this image with a white reflector/diffuser as a

background, and a speedlite flash positioned behind
this, set to the fastest setting of 1/128, allowing the flash
to recharge quickly enough to take multiple images with
flash in quick succession to freeze this movement.

I feel this image works well, and am happier with the way
I have cropped it to draw focus to the splash, as opposed
to my original idea of the liquid going in the glass.
Photograph 2 - Macro

My second image for this unit, was using

the technique of Macro photography.

Upon purchasing some macro extension

tubes online, I started experimenting with
several objects for macro photography,
before deciding to try and capture the
detail of the human eye. A scary yet
wonderfully unique image, shows the
great detail in the pupil, and sharpness of
the blood vessels within the eyeball.

Bumping up the ISO to capture more

light as the lens was extremely close to
the subject, I also used a small LED light,
which can be seen in the reflection on the
pupil. 70mm with Macro extension tube, f2.8, ISO 4000, 1/100s
Photograph 3 – Astrophotography
24mm, f2.8, ISO640, 20 Seconds

My third and final image for this series was using

the technique to capture the night sky in an
Astrophotography image.

Very dependent on weather, and getting a clear

night, this image is perhaps not what I would
ideally want to submit as a final image, as under
normal circumstances, with travelling restrictions
lifted, I would have managed to travel to Galloway
dark skies park, to capture a much better image
of the stars. This image, was captured just outside
my village, and some stray light can be seen
coming up from the bottom of the image. This
however makes the silhouette of the tree stand
out a little more, which I feel adds some nice
definition to the image. I cropped the image in a
1:1 aspect which is unusual for Astrophotography,
but I felt this framed the outline of the tree nicely.
 Specific Techniques Used

The above three images all display the use of individual techniques to capture the final images. However
other considerations were takin within them, which I will discuss below.
For the first and third image, I had to use a sturdy tripod, to keep my camera still and free from movement.
I also had to use a wireless remote shutter release, to take the images. For the first image this was so
images could be captured in quick succession as I was also the person pouring the liquid. For the long
exposure Astro image, this was used to stop any camera shake during the exposure, ensuring a clear and
sharp image. This could also have been achieved using a shutter release delay, if a wireless remote-control
release is not available.
For macro, I opted for a more cost-effective solution than buying a specific macro lens, by purchasing
extension tubes, which attached between the camera body and any lens. This gives a wider choice of
shooting options, and I enjoyed exploring these.
Below I have included some of the sample shots I took whilst trying to get that final three.
A selection of images from each shoot
 Conclusion

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this project, learning and experimenting

with new photographic techniques and equipment.

I believe some of the things I have learned whilst completing this unit will
further enhance my work going forward into the world as a working
photographer.

I am happy with my final submitted images and feel they have been shot
and produced to a high standard.