Close and involved

For this exercise, a wide angle lens is to be used. The idea is to take images close to people, endeavouring to put the viewer "right inside the situation". Not quite sure what this means - probably obvious once you see i.

I found this exercise challenging in concept, but a view of some other blogs suggested my ideas of taking random images at several opportunities was broadly correct. To be frank, I considered some of the posts to be rahter unimaginative, and several images where there was no apparent benefit from using a wide angle lens.

The images below were taken mostly in my photographic session in Bath, with a few at the end taken at the racecourse. All bar the forst one and the last three are taken using a wide angle 10-22mm lens. I have deliberately included some shots that do not work as well, in order to show comparisons.

This image is perhaps the closest to the brief of getting close to the situation. The image was taken blind by placing the camera on my lap and just shooting after viewing subject in Live View. Works well: the man's intense concentration on the subject in his lap is captured well.

This works well too - a deliberate angle to change the aspect, the shot was taken looking up almost from the ground. The wide angle lens captures the movement of the diablo in the foreground as well as the operator.

This singer provided another opportunity - the bag rather spoils the foreground.

Not a great image of this Big Issue saleswoman who was a rather reluctant subject. The wind did not help either.

The wide angle works very well here, capturing a close up of the expression as well as the sign, which must be in the shot to explain the context .The natural curvature created by the wide angle of the lens away from the subject helps to concentrate the eye on him.

Sometimes you get lucky. I was sat down looking for something to take when up popped a group of German tourists with their group leader. The wide angle captures the leader gesturing as she speaks, the rathe mixed attention of her group, and the subject of her talk in the background.

Not sure about this image of some boys in Bath tourist office. Not close enough to make the wide angle work, I think.

Definitely was close enough to the subject cleaning his sausage stall at the end of the day. The slow shutter speed actually works (unintentionally it has to be said) to exaggerate the  swiftness of the scrubbing action and the consequent head movements.

The wide angle here captures both the lad with his Spanish flag and his friends sat on the pavement.

This is the best image in my opinion. You do get a good sense of closeness to the subject (I was very close, amazing he did not notice) studying the form; the parading horses provide the context for his intense expression.

Similar here, I like the subliminal context of "Bath" in the newspaper as the punter looks off shot.

This was taken very close but works less well with minimal context and the man on the left filling up too much of the shot. Taking the image form behind works a lot less well than the two taken from the side above.

Not an easy exercise but I did pick up two things:

1. The opportunity to get some context into the image yet obtain a good close up - the images of the punters and of the banner holder are best examples;
2. That different angles, in particualr looking upwards can work well with wide angle - indeed essentially at times. The first two images and the German tourist image show this well.