AlphaRose Photography

Cull & Retouch

Combining all the visits, I had 234 images that were “usable”. From this, I started working through the list in Lightroom and seeing if, in closer detail, I could to cull further.

I started by inputting all 234 into Lightroom and whittling down based on detail. I’d created two catagories – Project and Photobook. The project would consist of the best of the best and will be reflected here. The rest would be put aside for the Photobook aspect of this module.

Retouching wise, a lot of the time it was exposure I had to worry about, especially on Qualifier day. As the light shifted and as we got considerably darker, I started struggling with keeping up with my settings. As I’d needed to do everything manually that day, I kept forgetting. I aimed to create them all to be as equal as possible.

Instead of forcing myself to stare at my monitor for hours, I selected and edited off Lightroom on my Samsung Tablet. It allowed me to see in much closer detail and change small details with prescision. Whereas I doubted I’d need that, I wanted to have that ability if needed.

A few notable mentions:

It was either all purple or not at all. Instead of lowering the hue for magenta alone, I shifted the tint slightly towards green. It removed the violence of the colour while still allowing some to come through.

---

Finding the Final 20

As I had over 200 photographs to work with, I was a lot stricter than I usually would be. If something wasn’t even slightly right, I’d cut it.

After the retouching stage, I exported everything that was left and moved onto the final 20 to pick.

I called in some help for this, in the form of my partner. We sat and went through all 207 images, whittling them down piece by piece. I asked Ed to assist with this as I had bias towards some, knowing what it took to get the shot. He did not and could be brutal.

We went from 207, to 67 and then down to 20. We also used this to build the list for the photobook but that’s for later. My aim was to tell the story of a night at Harlequins. Arriving, playing a game and doing a bit of shopping while you’re there. I’d caught these moments time and time again during my trips.

Sequencing was easier then, I just had to fit the narrative. The issue was using Canva to show the images. I had to pair the portrait ones so tried to make them fit both the narrative and the literal space.

I’m happy with how it came out but I know I could have done better in some cases.

---

Artistic Statement:

This is included in the final submission but I’ve added it here just in case.

You cannot play Magic the Gathering on your own. You need to have an opponent, or multiple. I’ve seen games run 8 people, stories speak of more. Some play at the pub, at home but most go to their Local Game Store (LGS).

For me, that’s Harlequins. Home to so many Tabletop games but Magic is it’s beating heart. Don’t think of Magic as a fun game, this is War. It’s Chess. You’re strategizing, planning counter attacks, waiting for your opponent’s next move. But like most serious things, there’s an element of fun. You irritate your friends by stopping their play, attempt to pronounce “Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar” (Yes, it’s a real card, look it up) or just cause chaos.

In these spaces, you’re free to be a geek. My aim was to capture these moments. The chaos, the mistakes and the fun. Show the truth of these stores. They’re stereotyped as male dominated, full of sweaty unhygienic people and riddled with monster cans. Only one of those statements is true and I’m very grateful it’s the latter. In truth, they can be one of the most welcoming places, free from judgement and hatred. We’re all just there to play some games.

---

Final 20

_{^{Slideshow of 20 (They’re numbered as WordPress doesn’t like keeping them in order)}}

Pages: 1 2 3