Photography 1: The Art of Photography

Project: Points
Exercise: Multiple Points

For this exercise a still life was set up using a velvet cloth background and a selection of pebbles from the beach.  The pebbles were chosen to be of similar size.  The camera was on a tripod and a photograph was taken each time a pebble was added to the grouping and also whenever a pebble was moved to a new place in the grouping.  I considered the effect that each move and new addition had on the overall grouping.  This process produced a sequence of photographs that record the creation of the final still life.

For the final photograph I drew a sketch, indicating the "lines" that relate the objects and any basic shape or shapes that they formed.

Stage 1; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 2; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 3; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 4; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 5; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 6; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 7; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 8; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 9; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 10; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 11 final layout; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

Stage 12 with sketch indicating lines; Nikon D300; 18-105mm lens; F13; 0.62s

What have I learned from this exercise?


A group of objects implies a network of lines, and can also create a shape, by implication.  In still-life photography, one of the basic skills is to be able to group objects together in such a way that they are linked attractively, in a relationship that is active rather than obvious and static.