Travel Shots - Aigues Mortes

Hi all,

I''d like to submit the following 4 images for discussion. They are taken in Aigues Mortes, a medieval walled down in the south of France.

I decided to do the whole shoot using a newly aquired Lensbaby, hoping that its unique optics would work well with the ancient walls and their surroundings. For those who have never come across a Lensbaby before it's a selective focus lens that you can 'bend around' to choose your focus point - the rest of the image drifting towards a characteristic blur.

All the photos were shot in RAW and post-processed using the latest beta of Lightroom to give a split tone effect. I honestly can't decide if I like these shots - sometimes I wish I'd taken a more 'normal lens', whilst at other times I look at them and find them rather appealing. I'll let you form your own views....

Some more images and accompanying text can be found in the gallery on my website: Gallery




The first view that most visitors have of the walls of Aigues Mortes. This tower was originally the sole defence of the town, and was later used as a prison for Protestant Huguenots during 18th century persecutions.




You can walk all the way around the walls of the town, with excellent views both into the centre and out to the surrounding countryside.



The original main gate of the town. Still in use, but most people now enter near the main tower. Aigues Mortes is a great place to explore on a sunny day, full of winding alleys and small shops.




The main street is a busy affair. It is easy to be tempted into the many ice-cream parlours, cafes and restaurants!




Hope you liked them,

Hi Andrew,

You're ambitious and creative! The LensBaby is an interesting tool for composing the focus of much of your picture in a sweeping way. The first shot of the Tower I find "too far gone". With little special to flucs on the the distance, the picture, to me at least doesn't work. The end result of where your eyes go is not powerful by being something in impressive form, detail or composition against a stunning sky, that I, myelf, at least, am not rewarded. It might very well be that if this was printed 6 feet high and the tower was prepared carefully, that the picture would come alive and be stunning. At least on the size I'm seeing it, I'm not captured.

Andrew Stannard said:

Hi all,

The first view that most visitors have of the walls of Aigues Mortes. This tower was originally the sole defence of the town, and was later used as a prison for Protestant Huguenots during 18th century persecutions.

The original main gate of the town. Still in use, but most people now enter near the main tower. Aigues Mortes is a great place to explore on a sunny day, full of winding alleys and small shops.

Click to expand...

This picture of "The Main Gate", I feel is worth attention. There is a great feeling of movement. Here the LensBaby is working well for me in giving energy to this composition. I like it. Roads always are good subjects since they have the potential for exciting the imagination in so many rich ways. This is an interesting use of your scene and camera.

You are using a novel and challenging technic. I'd keep doing what your doing and there will be many duds. However, this is a whole new skill to acquire. I like that "Main Gate" picture. So, for me, you are batting a good average!

Now your choice of duotone, I havn't addressed since I'm merely critiquing what you have shown.

However, the fact that you have embarked on this way of selectively looking at the world is very important, since, photography is after all an art of position, selection and exclusion.

Thanks for sharing.


Asher

Thanks for the critique Asher,

Looking through some of my other Lensbaby pictures, the comments that you have made ring true in many ways.

The majority of my successful shots do indeed seem to be those where the out-of-focus flow is in accord with the eye's travel through the frame and at the same time leading to a strong focal point. Pictures where only one of these compositional factors is present do not appear so strong.

The picture below is from the same shoot, and although I like the lines of the image the focal point does not contain enough detail to hold the viewer. Do you agree?





Of course there are always exceptions - and some of my Lensbaby images that I personally think work well do not follow either of the above 'rules'. Such is art! If this discussion develops further I shall perhaps post these too.

I agree it is ambitious to photograph a place such as Aigues Mortes with a LensBaby...

Of all of them, the first Tower shot is the most palatable for my tastes. I find the oof areas in most too prominent for the images posted -- IOW the efect is too exagerated for my tastes. I find the effects of LensBaby images in general to get 'old' quickly, kind of like seeing a portfolio full of fisheye photos. Best I think to limit those to one or two in an entire portfolio.

My .02 only and undoubtedly others opinios will vary. Cheers,

Andy,

Now I've gone through a lot of lensbaby images and reviewed more of your own pictures, I think that the images here represent a good step for you. This inexpensive device, fluidly allows some interesting effects. I think you might do well to experiment further.

Asher

Hi Asher,

Thanks for taking the time to look at some more of my own pictures. I do intend to experiment further with this lens.

My time for photography seems all to short at the moment, and so I find it difficult to spend time with just one lens - feel like I am missing out on opportunities elsewhere. A false economy I know - better to concentrate on one thing at a time!

I think that the images here represent a good step for you

Click to expand...

Would be interested to hear in which direction you think this step is in? Compositionally, artistically etc. As I think I posted elsewhere, I do find that using a Lensbaby helps me think more about exactly what it is I'm photographing, and what it is that attracted me to the scene in the first place. Reduces my intermittent tendancies to try and capture everything that I see!

Regards,

Andrew Stannard said:

Hi Asher,

........Would be interested to hear in which direction you think this step is in? Compositionally, artistically etc. As I think I posted elsewhere, I do find that using a Lensbaby helps me think more about exactly what it is I'm photographing, and what it is that attracted me to the scene in the first place. Reduces my intermittent tendancies to try and capture everything that I see!

Regards,

Click to expand...

I think that any technic that exludes in a pleasent way or highlights has artistic and compositonal potential. After all, this is (much of) what a view camera does!

The lens baby, however is a lightweight fluid focus adust system. So this should, with practice, make soft-bordered selections more an extension of the human brain and less an artifact.

Asher