Collecting Soil Samples Action Shots and Edit

 these are just the photos I took while collecting soil samples and the red ones are the ones that I'm putting together as an edit. In the same way that I'm posting photos of these activities on my blog- we want you to post your images(photos, drawings or anything else)  of soil sample collecting and plate swabbing on your blog. This way I can see what you're doing with the project and leave some feedback for you. 

here are some of the images I like as a basic edit bigger below. There's a LOT of photos! And that's okay. I wont want to use all these later but making art is a lot like a science project. We have some ideas and we start to experiment by collecting a lot of data, making observations and then putting that all together in some way that makes sense for our objectives. Right now we want to document part of the science experiment but also try to make some nice looking images. 

Its worth considering what you want the photograph to 'say' 

this first batch i experimented with composition thinking about the rule of thirds as well as trying to show the 'environment' and landscape i was collecting soil from:

here i made a 'behind the scenes' still life of my tools:

I wanted to do some up close action shots of digging up soil - I was making a video when I noticed I could see the reflection of the tree in my spoon-  so then I got pretty excited and took a lot of photographs of the tree reflected in the spoon with the sample on it.  

it's exciting to try different ways of looking at things- we can find new ways to describe the area around us and what impact there might be. I haven't decided on the composition and spoon/soil reflect I like best so these are the contenders. I might crop one of them to get that "rule of thirds" later. It was difficult to compose while getting the focus and reflection so i decided to make a bigger picture that I can maybe edit later,

just some up close and personal photos of my samples in the carryout container. 

how close can I zoom in and crop before these become abstract and something else? 

soil sample in environment where taken 

it fills the frame while still showing some of the environment it came from

and it's at a fun jaunty angle

action selfie. sometimes its just nice to have some documentation of what you're doing.

if no one is there to take a photo find a way to identify yourself. I used my hair. 

nice close up of one of the first places i collected soil from. it shows a past tense action and other elements of the soil. 

here i thought i'd just take a down on the ground photo of some of the grass nearby

there were also dandelions around so i thought i would document some of the things i saw

then i found this worm, i think its injured. I hope i didn't step on it. :( make sure when you're collecting your samples that you observe health and safety things, consider gloves or if the area you're in is safe to you first, but also try to make sure you're doing no harm to the environment. :)

i found this semi decomposing piece of plastic bag.  I decided it was a part of the environment worth documenting. It's not always just nice nature bits- the bag was kind of interesting in its shape and I got an idea for doing more photography with it. I had a spare bag so I picked it up and took it with me. 

In this way I will both have a positive impact on the environment by removing some plastic litter but also found something to begin a sketch of a project with. Feel free to do the same. We might be able to use it later. Again, be sure you're being safe. 

i found a second location to collect soil samples from. It's closer to the street and had a lot of different elements which i thought were initially visually interesting but also might show some differences in the soil samples. We have some logs, and ivy and iron railing and FUNGI! also a different kind of tree nearby. 

environmental shots. 

looking up this was the evergreen that was above me. 

i found this great piece of bark just laying on the ground. I'm going to do some more photography 'studio style' at home. I thought its shape and texture and lines were interesting. I haven't used the rule of thirds in an obvious way here- the object of interest is centred, but there are contrasting textures and elements- the smooth blue grey pavement (man made) and the green and brown textured grass and soil. They make up triangles that divide the image in half but they end at the edges of the top and bottom pretty close to the 'thirds' 

detail shot of where I dug up some soil, and i wanted to take some phtoos of the fungus- i like the colour and the texture and it looks nice with all the other elements. 

another soil sample in situe 

landscape and soil collection shot from second location

a close up of that bark again. 

another piece of bark with a weird random broken phone cable.... i took that with me too. 

i was lucky and had someone help take some photos of me 'in the moment' again documentary action. These can help when describing the process of the science learning, experiment and communicating that later- but also they're part of the art making and learning process. 

i like this second one better i think.... 

 just wanted to bring in some more of the environment - the flowers are pretty but they also subtly indicate what time of year it is. We know we usually see these flowers at the beginning of Spring - usually March or early April. 

someone getting arty including a different angle and including a perspective that shows more of the tree in an interesting way. 

oh loook the spoon is collecting soil which is being captured on my phone! META. 

action shot of me taking images showing landscape and texture, foreground and background the leading lines and division help direct the eye to the action while clearly describing the complex environment around. 

if you have another way you'd like to try and describe this activitiy, I know a lot of you said you like drawing - go ahead and do some of that too if you want! I'm not a great illustrator so i use interesting photographic techniques to describe these things differently, which we'll get into more the next time we meet. Please do take a few different kinds of photos tho- and next week when you prep the slides with the samples!

Photography and Video Composition

 

What Is the Rule of Thirds in Photography Composition?

The composition is how you arrange the subject and objects within your frame.

The rule of thirds is dividing your frame into nine equal rectangles. You can do this by creating two vertical and two horizontal lines. The four lines will intersect at four points. These are the points where your point of interests should be. You can do this mentally

How to Use Points of Interest

The relationship between negative space and the subject creates a natural focal point. By default, the viewer looks at the intersection points. Placing points of interest at one of these points balance your image. This also creates more tension, energy, and interest in the photograph.

In a portrait, the subject or other main points like the subject’s eyes, are important. Place these elements on one of the intersections.

For instance, the subject in the photo below is on one of the intersections. The same goes for landscape photography, like in the image below. Using the rule of thirds, the photographer placed key elements on the intersections.

Important Compositional Elements

Some images like landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes don’t have one point of interest. Aim to divide the image into one-third and two-thirds. For example, when capturing a landscape, use the rule of thirds to place the horizon on a horizontal line.

This photo below is more interesting. The landscape takes up 1/3 of the image, where the sky takes the remaining 2/3.

This is an effective way to show two elements, where one is more important than the other. This image would not be as dynamic if the sky were only 1/3.

Can You Break the Rule of Thirds?

Of course, you can break the rule of thirds. But before breaking the rule, it is important to learn it. In general, only break the rule for a specific reason.

Example: The subject doesn’t fall on any of the intersections. Nor are any of the key elements (things you want to make the viewer pay attention to) on the grid lines. The story behind the image was strong enough to justify breaking the rule.

Try these things while you're collecting your soil samples or doing activities in School next week with these challenges:

landscape- the area where you found the soil- try all around it and a landscape can also be a vertical or "portrait" oriented image. This can help with note taking- a visual record of the environment around you. Maybe there is some interesting archetecture, an unusual buisness that might effect the lanscape, maybe it's near water or perhaps there are flowers you like or litter you want to document to raise awareness. 

action - get some action shots of you collecting the samples, have a family member help or do some selfies. Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle events or environments both significant and relevant to history and historical events as well as everyday life or science communication.

texture and abstract - get up close to the soil or interesting items you see around- experiment with angles and perspectives. Abstract photography, sometimes called non-objective, experimental or conceptual photography, is a means of depicting a visual image that does not have an immediate association with the object world and that has been created through the use of photographic equipment, processes or materials.

'Studio' Style

try taking some items home and putting them on a black background - I use my black hoodie as a background.  Try using directional lighting with a torch or window light, or the flash of your camera just to see how it changes the way the object looks.

I do the same thing with selfies or portraits -  using a black background and lighting I can make some professional looking images. 

I sometimes use Snapseed to edit my images later- it's a free phone image capture or editing app that's fun to play around with! If you have other things you want to do- like draw a picture or pictures from your outings or create some effects that would be great to see the inspiration and what you make with it. 

Composition is as important as lighting - but when in doubt I just take a lot of pictures from a lot of different angles and perspectives and have my friends help me pick the good ones later.

When you've made some photographs you like connected to the Soil activities (collecting and in school activity) post them to your blog along with any thoughts you had about it.