Unit 57: Photography and Photographic Practice

Research of other photographers work (P1, M1, D1)

Photographer: Rodney Lough JR

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Theme or focus of images

Rodney Lough JR is a landscape photographer- he travels all over the world in search of ‘nature’s most exquisite terrains’.

Whilst his images aren’t all of the same terrain, colour is of clear importance to him, he has a way of giving it such vividness that the pictures come to life. Each of the above image’s are crisp and full of clarity- he captures the landscapes in all there beauty.

His images are very pure; Rodney Lough JR takes pride in not using filters- this allows the photos to reflect their true alluringness.

The first thing I noticed in every single one of his images is the amount of detail captured from the leaves on the trees to the waves in the ocean. There’s a very mystical element to the photographs, he’s photographed these untouched

landscapes without manipulating the photos and shown them off in all their glory.

Image 1 is of some sort of forest. The first thing that’s captures your eye is the contrast between the water and grass- the secludedness of the landscape gives it a very calming and relaxing feel. The images seem to have been taken during the day, this is apparent from the natural lighting. The photo- like all of his photos- is very true to itself, nothing has been blurred out, everything is sharp and clear, bringing out all the natural beauty of the landscape.

Image 2 is of Lake Moraine in Canada. What I notice first about this image is the rocky mountains- they take up a large amount of the photo meaning that this was Rodney Lough JR focal point. The image is very well exposed- the natural lighting gives it a feeling of elation. Whilst I’m unsure of the time of day the photo was taken, the shadows from the sun have given the mountains texture adding more detail to the image and drawing our eyes in. The lake and trees act as secondary visual points, whilst there just as eye catching they don’t have the same effect. The contrast between the mountains and lower landscape is cleverly incorporated together, it seeming appears as if it has no start or finish in which they meet or join.

One thing that’s has become evident to me is how perfectly aligned the landscapes in Rodney Lough JR images are. The rule of third has been applied to make them seem more dynamic- they appear to be visually complex yet they are simply divided into thirds.

Image 3 is of an unknown Ocean. Personally I believe the rocks to act as an anchor for the image to draw people in- the ocean alone would not be as eye catching. The natural lighting of the sun brings warmthness to the image and creates a beautiful contrast in the colour of the sea. Having the rocks cut right through the centre of the image makes the change in colour more apparent.

Image 4 and 5 are two of my favourite images by Rodney Lough JR; both were taken during sunset. Image 4 is such a simplistic photo yet it contains so much detail and allurement. The shadowing of the tree allows the sky to stand out and appear more vivid; however it’s obvious that the tree was the focal point due to it being centred. Image 6 is of some sort of lighthouse and house at the top of a cliff top. The image has been taken from a high angle giving the illusion that the building is very delicate. The light shining down from the sun gives the essence of a higher power providing a very saintly feel to the photo. The images to me seem very magical. The contrast between the sun, clouds and lower landscape is again perfectly aligned.

Beauty is a key focus point for Rodney Lough JR; it’s what he captures and presents in his photographs in exquisite ways.

Composition

Rodney Lough JR photographs are visually pleasing. Whilst all of his images capture landscapes in all there exquisiteness each one is one of a kind. It's clear that every single image is thought about carefully to capture the perfect photo; alignment is used in all of his photography work meaning that were he stands is a crucial factor. Rodney Lough JR's photos all include a key focal point- this Is what

the image is based around. The colouring in his work is always vivid and true to itself. Manipulation is not so that the pictures portray the true beauty of the landscape- this mean that he would have to wait for the perfect time of day to take the images.

Techniques used

Personally I believe Rodney Lough JR would of used a fast shutter speed of around 1/2000 to capture the natural lighting of the sun. As to not overexpose the image a high f-stop such as f16 would have been used. The use of a low IOS adds more detail to the photos. In image 4 we can see that Rodney Lough JR took the photograph with a shallow depth of field whilst the rest of the Images consist of a large depth of field.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Rodney Lough JR ability to bring out the natural beauty in all landscapes is definitely a key strength in his work- every single one of his photos is perfect. Personally I don’t believe any of his work to have any weaknesses. I hope to be able to produce images that are as visually appealing and capture every single detail within a landscape.