“The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.” – John Howard

We live by a beach, connected to a harbour by smooth as you like pedestrian walk ways, they glide along-side the contour of our white sands. Curving and twisting, connecting towns, peoples and waters. Over the years many moments have unfolded upon these concrete paths. The ground shows cracks and crevices formed by the feet and wheels of passers by. Bicycles know just how to glide so delicately upon this platform of grey, even on the stillest of days there is nothing I would rather do than fly along its lines, with the wind in my hair, pedalling for power to take me where the path way flows.

This is a portrait of a good friend of mine. This is his fixed gear, peugeot, vintage racer bike.

Golden hour was looming and the sun made the wheels of his bike golden. I love golden hues, upon blue.

Original image.

a curious vehicle - image 1 - student project

iphone 5s - inbuilt IOS camera
I sat down at ground level
focused in on the subject as it passed by tapping on the screen
had subject cycle towars sunlight, for exposure on face and bike
kept iphone level for straight horizon
used iphone camera

First edit.

I ever so slightly adjusted the alignment in SKRWT - this app is so great! Photos I have previously disgarded can now be used!

I then went straight to VSCO.

Preset: B1 (I really like the flat black tones in this preset and black and white portraits rock!)
Exposure: -1
Contrast: +2 (It just felt right and made the subject 'pop')
Fade: +2 (to lift the density of the black part of the image and add more life to the sea)
Sharpen: +1 (a tip from Mr Rubin that I now like to apply to all my images!)
Crop: subject is central

a curious vehicle - image 2 - student project

Second edit.

I used the snapseed 'selective adjust' control to enhance the brightness and contrast of the subject.I also increase the contrast and reduced the brightness of the shadow cast by the subject.

I then went straight to VSCO.

Preset: N3 (the overall colour shift of this preset was simply beautiful and enhanced the wheel colour and softened the ground)
Exposure: +1
Temperature: -2 (wanted to cool things down a bit, plus this created a more brassy colour on the wheels)
Contrast: +1 (adds more definition to the bikes details)
Sharpen: +1 (a tip from Mr Rubin that I now like to apply to all my images!)
Crop: subject is central however I zoomed in to centralise the bike

a curious vehicle - image 3 - student project

Third edit.

I used the snapseed 'selective adjust' control to soften the subects shadow.

I then used ReTouch to remove the beach jetty on the right of the image.

Then in VSCO:

Preset: M5 (I really like the flat black tones in this preset and black and white portraits rock!)
Exposure: +1
Temperature +3 (this warmed up the shadows, espesially on the subjects legs and face)
Fade: +1
Sharpen: +1 (a tip from Mr Rubin that I now like to apply to all my images!)
Crop: I wanted to have the subject to the left of this crop to create movement and bring the image to life more.

a curious vehicle - image 4 - student project

Image 3 is the picture I wanted to create when taking this photo. Using all of the apps have allowed me to create that. I have been using VSCO for years and love their film style presets as I shoot alot of film. It works so well with connecting my professional work with the fun I have using instagram. Snapseed is a new app for me, its amazing! Being able to control specific exposure has changed how I take photos!

Thanks for all the tips Dan! Exellent workshop!

Imogen

@imogenxiana

Imogen Thoburn

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