1. Experimental Photography
Henry Buckham
1

2. Out of Focus
Explain the experiments you did and your findings.
To perform this method I took a series of shots that were greatly out of focus, as
opposed to well adjusted shots that would be in focus and lacking any blur. During
this I found that the blur can obscure certain motifs and features and create a
much more smooth image that isn’t too heavy on the eyes with a certain artistic
integrity to the obscured details and fuzzy lines. Because of this, this allows for
much more interpretation on the viewer’s part – Something as simple as a
spotlight could be interpreted as an eye or an alien spacecraft.
Talk about the results you got.
I mostly centred my out of focus shots around the various lamps and spotlights
that are installed around the college, as well as the roof sky light over the atrium. I
chose these because I believed they were bright spots against the concrete
structure and with a a bad focus they would stand out much more against the
solid block of colours that make up the walls and floors. I am quite happy with
how my images turned out as they are all unique and quite striking but next time I
would like to try and get some different subjects and expand my range of things to
photograph instead of limiting myself to the college.
Use the boxes on the right to show samples of your work

3. Use this slide to annotate your best image
Spotlight stands out
greatly against the black
and blue of the ceiling
and walls.
The skylight is very obscure – could be
interpreted as almost anything, and could
put us in a place like a train station or mall
instead of college. This lets the viewer
imagine the scene as something that it isn’t.
Deep contrast between the pale
blue and black of the
background.
Simple and only uses three colours to
be effective.

4. Movement
Explain the experiments you did and your findings.
With this experiment I took a series of photographs that displayed different types
of movement in the image, whether it be people ‘ghosting’ thank to a long
exposure photograph, or intentional movement thanks to deliberately shaking or
moving the camera. I found that a long exposure can have quite a cool effect on a
photograph as it captures every frame of someone’s movement, creating a blurry
trail of their body across the image. When coupled with more people passing
through the same area that were captured by the camera, this makes an are
seem a lot busier and more active.
Talk about the results you got.
The results that I got involving movement were taken using a high vantage point
and a tripod to eliminate camera shake which resulted in a very clear picture. I am
particularly fond of how most of the movements were captured and how the long
exposure gave them the drifting effect, which gives the entire image quite an
ethereal, otherworldly feeling. If was to repeat this experiment, I would likely take
my shots in a much more busier where there is a lot more going on. This way the
movement would be much more apparent and the long exposures would likely
capture this extremely well.
Use the boxes on the right to show samples of your work

5. Use this slide to annotate your best image
Unique ghosting effect of moving people created by the long
exposure.
Background appears normal in the long exposure provided there is not
camera shake, making for an interesting contrast against the drifting figures
of people moving.

6. Reflections
Explain the experiments you did and your findings.
For this experiment I took a series of photographs where the subject in question
displayed some sort of reflection, either through light or transparency. This was
mainly things like windows, glossy signs or metal fittings. These shots ere
achieved with a very fast shutter speed in order to avoid camera shake and to
capture the reflective detail. What I like about reflections is that they seemingly
offer a 4th dimension onto subject, with the reflection itself acting as a window of
sorts and providing a much more unique perspective on things.
Talk about the results you got.
I took these shots using just the camera and a steady hand and I was very
pleased with the results. The reflections themselves are very clear and offer a
great amount of detail into a picture, allowing the viewer to look at another
perspective of a scene or object that couldn’t normally be accomplished. If I was
to repeat this experiment, I would like to find some more reflective objects and
photograph them, perhaps incorporating actors or props in order to make the
image even more interesting.
Use the boxes on the right to show samples of your work

7. Use this slide to annotate your best image
The angle of the shot shows two different levels of reflection – one that goes
much deeper and clearer than the other.
In an abstract sense, reflections can be seen as windows and portals,
offering view angles that are otherwise unseen from the original angle.
This gives the image almost a 4th dimension as we can see something
that isn’t being focused on.

8. Photomerge
Explain the experiments you did and your findings.
This experiment involved taking a series of photographs all from the same subject
(usually in a row then descending a little) and then using the Photomerge feature
in Photoshop. What this did was automatically stitch the picture back together but
not perfectly, creating quite an appealing patchwork effect. The subjects that
appeared in my examples shown here included detailed pieces but not
necessarily overly detailed as to not confuse the automated process. Typically
involving posters and pictures, I also included a shot of a bookcase that after
deleting some uneven pictures, came out very nicely.
Talk about the results you got.
I took my pictures by photographing one row then descending to the next and
continuing on, applying this process until my subject was photographed entirely
while still leaving little gaps between photographs. The results from the
Photomerge were very appealing to me and ended up as very patchwork, rustic
images that had been stitched together from different sized and angled images,
creating a very artistic image when coupled with some colour changes, which I
applied to my Photomerge of the poster at the top. If I was to attempt this again, I
would like to find some less detailed subjects and take less images per subject,
as too many images will sometimes confuse the automated process and fewer
images might look a little better when merged together, rather than the entire
image being represented from a lot of pictures.
Use the boxes on the right to show samples of your work

9. Use this slide to annotate your best image
Breaks boundaries of a normal
photograph by having uneven
edges.
Focuses on only one subject and its contents.
Not overly detailed and confusing.
Edges of each
individual
photograph have
differing shades of
exposures, helping to
distinguish them.