The Anchorage guide to photography in Polperro

As a keen photographer I have written this guide to photography for the guests staying in Polperro. Hopefully, it will show you how to make the most of the village and capture some great holiday photographs. I suggest that you print out sections of this guide to take to Polperro with you, so that you can practice the exercises when you are out and about.

The examples shown in this guide are all my own and are based on waterside themes where possible.  

Polperro offers numerous subjects for the keen photographer and the conditions (weather, tide and light) are always changing. Personally, I don't like to photograph the harbour at low tide, it is much more attractive at high tide.

For me, the best images of Polperro feature sunshine, blue sky, white fluffy clouds, high tide and better still, some foreground interest such as a boat, a swan or a reflection. 

This guide assumes that you know the controls of your digital camera, but if you don't please take your manual with you. Our TV has an HDMI cable and an audio/video socket, so if you take your camera cable(s) with you, you should be able to view your photographs on the TV. In any event, it is worth reviewing your images each night, so that you can learn from any mistakes you might have made. I often review my images and think that another view would have been better, rather go back and try again (weather permitting). There is nothing worse than returning home after your holiday and noticing something you missed! 

This is the breakdown of the guide:-

1. Time of day
2. Time of year
3. Composition
   1. Rule of thirds
   2. Fill the frame/keep it simple
   3. What to include and exclude
   4. Foreground interest
   5. Which views
   6. Perspective/angle
   7. Abstract/patterns/symmetry/balance
   8. Silhouettes
   9. Viewpoint
   10. Frame
   11. Texture
   12. Scale
   13. The model village
   14. Horizons

   4.  Colour

   5.  Focus/depth of field

 

1. Time of day

Try taking photos at different times of day and see how the light affects colour.

First thing in the morning, there are generally no people around. You can even capture the swans exploring the village - once I found them outside the Pilchards pub digging up the flowers at 6 am.

Early morning is also a good time for strong reflections. My favourite early morning scene is a high tide and the buildings opposite are reflecting on the water. You don't even need to leave home, you can also photograph the harbour from the South facing bay window. From the bay window, you can see the light change at sunrise and the light at sunset.

Early mornings can give a beautiful soft light and in the early evenings a warmer reddish/golden light. The softness and lack of shadows can also help bring out contrast and textures, especially if it is high tide.

At midday (apart from Winter time) the midday sun can be very harsh.

2. Time of year

We supply a set of tide tables, if you check these, you can see when the tide is extremely high and low (spring tides). For example around the equinox, you tend to get spring tides.

In June each year there is the Polperro Festival with photo opportunities including fancy dress and a duck race.

The light varies a lot across the year, winter brings occasional snow, winter mists and clear blue crisp winter mornings.

3. Composition

In this section, we will look at the elements that create a good photograph.

Decide what you want people viewing your photograph to see or notice, thinking of the whole composition. Just because you looked through the viewfinder, you don't have to press the shutter. If the image won't have impact, change your viewpoint or perhaps move in closer, or even don't bother taking one. Even though taking a digital photograph doesn't cost you any money, what is the point in littering up your hard drive with mediocre photographs. Treat the subject or scene that you see through the viewfinder as a masterpiece, think of the whole picture.

Rule of thirds 

If you look at an artist's landscape, you will see that the artist rarely puts the subject bang in the middle. A canvas is normally broken into thirds, so the horizon might be one-third away from the top, or from the bottom. The subject - for example, a person, tree or a house - might be a third from the left or right. 

Fill the frame/keep it simple

Before you take the picture, think about the following: should you go closer? Is it all too busy? It may make your image more striking, if you move in closer and fill the frame with it. Sometimes, less is more. A simple composition often has more impact. Consider cropping, sometimes showing part of a subject will make a stronger image. Think about the final picture and the impact of the composition, and what you are leaving out as well as what you are including.

Remember that the eye can handle the clutter when you look through the viewfinder, but on your final print, you need a focal point (less is more).

What to include and exclude

Before you press the shutter, check the edges of the frame to make sure no unsightly objects are impinging on your masterpiece. At the same time, make sure you haven't cut off an important part of your main subject (half a boat or someone's feet. Make sure that everything you want in the picture is included and what you don't want is left out. Avoid clutter. If taking a portrait, check that the background is not distracting, for example a mast directly behind a person's head. For example if you want to take a picture of the cottage, make sure there is not a mast obscuring the window (and remember it looks better at high tide).

Foreground interest

Many scenes can be made more interesting by adding foreground interest, for example boats, swans and people. The foreground object(s) can help lead the eye through the scene and adds depth to the image. It can make the difference between a mediocre image and a stunning image. Sometimes your subject will need some foreground interest. A big landscape may need an object or shape silhouette in the foreground.

Which views

If you look at the postcards in the local shops you will see the different Polperro views that are commonly photographed e.g. the shell house (almost opposite The Anchorage).

Perspective/angle

Think about perspective, lead the viewer into the picture, create depth.

Walk around the subject; think of different angles to make it more interesting. Don't always take the postcard view. Don't just take photographs straight ahead, if you look at the subject side-on, the photograph may be more interesting. Think of unusual angles, and think of perspective.Try portrait rather than landscape format.

Abstract/patterns/symmetry/balance

Look for patterns in the landscape, look for shapes and patterns in objects around the harbour for example chains and fishing nets. Don't just take scenes, try some abstract images. Move in closer, think differently, be creative and have some fun with what you see. Is your subject symmetrical/ balanced horizontally or vertically? Think about form e.g. shapes, circles, triangle, rectangle. Look for patterns in a scene. Look for patterns in every day life

Silhouettes

Sometimes shapes/silhouettes, make a more interesting image than a properly exposed image.

Viewpoint

Don't just point and shoot, think about view point

·        Crouch down to avoid cars, bins, rubbish, eyesores

·        Is there a better view from the side or higher up?

 

Frame

You can use a shape to frame an image. Frame your subject with an arch or foliage

Texture

Also look for textures and colours e.g. the texture and colour of rusting metal.

Scale

With big subjects, you can emphasise the size by using people or an object to show the scale.

The model village

This is a nice subject to photograph. Sadly they had a fire this year, but the model village out the back was undamaged. I enjoy photographing the lovely model houses. 

Horizons

Watch your horizon, there is nothing worse than a wonky one. Check it before you press the shutter. If you are not very good at it, and if you have an SLR you can buy a spirit level that fits on the hot shoe.

Motion

Look for movement and try to illustrate it.

4. Colour

Look for colour. Red is a particularly interesting colour because even a tiny blob in the background will it draw the eye to it. Think of Hopper, or look at some great masters, and learn about how they use red. Guide books use the most colourful images to illustrate locations. I have had a number of photographs of souvenirs used in guide books. The only thing they have in common is lots of colour. Look for colour and capture it. You don't see a guide book or holiday brochure with grey sky, they use bright blue skies. 

5. Focusing and depth of field (SLR cameras)

Depth of field is the area of sharpness either side of your subject or focus point. Some cameras have a depth of field preview mode so that you can see how much of a scene is in focus, but if not you can use examples shown below as a guide. 

Depth of field is controlled by aperture and an aperture is described using the term f stop. Apertures on many SLR's are between around 5.6 and 32. Some lenses stop down to f1.4 or less (more expensive). The higher the f stop the more of your subjects is in focus. The aperture controls the amount of light that reaches the camera processor. The higher the f stop, the smaller the aperture and the more of your scene will be in focus.

When an exposure is measured, the camera knows how much light is needed. You can control this light by using a high f stop and low film speed, or by using a low f stop and a higher film speed. That way the camera still gets the same amount of light, one is a trade off against the other.

The higher the aperture used, the more near and distant subjects are in focus. There is a trade off, the higher the aperture, the lower the film speed. This is because the aperture shuts down and so it takes longer for the light to reach the camera processor.

The lower the f stop, the wider the aperture, the less area in focus.

Using aperture, it is possible to be creative photography by using selective focusing.

Using f2.8, the aperture is wide open, this gives you less area in focus, using f16, you will see that the top and bottom of the lens are parallel causing more area to be in focus from front to back of the photograph. 

If you are trying to maximise the depth of field in say a landscape, it is a good idea to focus say 1/3 of the way in. With macro, it is best to focus in the middle of the subject.

Compare this example of f2.8 with this one at f32. 

Zoom

The zoom function allows you to take a close-up. There are two types of zoom, optical and digital. Optical zoom uses lens technology and is better quality than digital zoom. Digital zoom is a bit like enlarging the middle of a photograph on your computer and can affect quality. If you can avoid zoom by moving (yes walk!) in closer then do so!