alan frost photography

“What are you photographing?”….. the stranger asked inquisitively.

Crouching down with my camera and staring into the rather murky water of a small pond….a man approached me and asked me what was I photographing? He could have simply asked what on earth I was doing. Instead, he chose to be more tactful and polite with his questioning. Had I been in his shoes I may well have posed the same question. After all there was nothing obvious to be seen, let alone photograph…or was there?

And that’s the great thing about being a photographer. The eye is honed to see something which others may not notice. And the more you look and observe the more you see.

In this case I had been drawn to the stillness of a small twig which appeared to be rising out of the water. The reflections of the surrounding trees were being moved by a gentle breeze. The combination of stillness and movement appealed to me.

What I guess wouldn’t have been seen by the passerby was how these reflections would be frozen and captured by the use of a fast shutter. I focused on the twig and used a wide aperture intending to isolate the main subject.

If you are viewing this image on a small screen, you may find it difficult to appreciate the abstract quality of the reflections. So I have included a crop of one part of the picture.

Of course the answer to the question ‘what are you photographing?’ is in the eye of the photographer and is only concluded when the image has been captured and processed. At this moment the photographer’s vision comes together and makes sense – hopefully!

There is something about this photograph which really appeals to me. It’s something out of nothing, being both simple and complex in its makeup. To my eyes it’s the hidden beauty of nature which is very special. All too easily missed, but once seen, never forgotten.

Flooded Meadows ….. from the other side, with a tripod to slow me down

A few days ago I posted a set of images of the flooded water meadows close to where I live. You can read that post and see the images here.

I knew there was the possibility of some different views if I accessed the meadows from the other side of the river. In particular I wanted to capture some trees which I thought would be ideal subjects providing I could pick a still day to make the most of their reflections.

When conditions were favourable I selected what camera gear I would need and put on my wellies. I took a tripod, not because I would be taking any long exposures but to slow me down. I tend to work quite quickly and the one advantage of a tripod is that I take greater care over the composition and the camera’s settings. I find the process of being in the field more immersive as a consequence.

The water levels have receded but any more rain will only fall on saturated ground, so I fully expect these scenes will persist for some time to come. I may travel a little further afield to find other areas where I know local rivers have burst their banks. I have not known flooding on this scale before so I want to make the most of these conditions while I can.

Flooded Meadows from regular storms and excessive rainfall

Continuing the theme of capturing scenes from my local area, or as I have written before; ‘Close to my back door’, an opportunity arose this week to photograph the water meadows adjoining the River Piddle in Dorset.

Whilst flooding is a regular occurrence at this time of year I have never seen the water levels reach this height before. With the ground well and truly saturated, more rainfall in the coming days and weeks will only bring about further flooding to the area.

I was particularly pleased to capture the last image in this set – a photograph of the church and its reflection. I am grateful to the farmer who allowed me access to his land to make these photographs possible.

Oh and by the way welly boots are an essential item for this type of photography!

Photography without limits…..welcome to 2026

At the start of a new year our thoughts inevitably turn to what we might like to achieve in the coming 12 months. Resolutions are often made but soon broken…or they are if you are anything like me. Sometimes we set ourselves targets or specific goals. All too often these are unrealistic and consequently never realised. This leads to a feeling of disappointment which is why I don’t set any for myself in the first place.

Whilst this is not a resolution I do wish to continue to document my local surroundings. I am fortunate to live in a rural part of the lovely county of Dorset. There are many honeypot locations nearby which most photographers will have visited at one time or another. Durdle Door, Corfe Castle and Kimmeridge Bay to name a few. They may be seeking ‘likes’ of course, even though the subject has been seen and captured thousands, if not millions of times before. But should that be the motivation? I think not. For me the images I wish to make are far from the atypical landscape shot from a location of this nature.

From my perspective no subject should be off limits. The composition or scene may be neither obviously beautiful or instantly recognisable but that shouldn’t deter me or any photographer from making an image. If the picture has something to say or forms part of a wider narrative then the camera should be turned on, lens selected and focused, settings chosen and shutter pressed.

The image shown in this post neatly sums up what I am trying to say. In fact it inspired me to make this entry. The subject is a de-restricted road sign, which at some time or another has been knocked over and left in a roadside verge diminishing its effectiveness and meaning. The out of focus old farm building in the background offers some context about its surroundings. But the principal subject is the road sign.

Strictly speaking the Highway Code states that this sign denotes that the National Speed Limit applies, although why anyone would want to drive at up to 60mph along a twisty narrow country lane I do not know.

The point of this entry is simply to encourage all photographers to make images of subjects that appeal to the individual behind the camera, and not be swayed by what they think is likely to appeal to an unknown audience.

My view is that we all need to de-restrict our minds and try not to define what does or doesn’t make a good image. It’s all about being honest and true to yourself. Making images which work and appeal to you. In the process these images will serve to define who you are as a photographer. In other words photography can and should be without limits.

And finally may I wish anyone who has read this far a very happy and healthy 2026.

Photographer and subject drawn to the light ….. The story behind the picture recalls a quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

I have said this before, but much can be learned by studying the images of famous photographers whose work you admire. Similarly their writings can also encourage and inspire. I particularly enjoy reading quotations by some of my favourite photographers – Ansel Adams, Minor White and Henri Cartier-Bresson to name just three. I wholeheartedly recommend having a shelf full of photography books to revisit from time to time, browse at leisure and enjoy.

I took this image in Wells Cathedral in Somerset on Boxing Day, just a few days ago. Its capture reminded me of a quote by Cartier-Bresson that I recalled reading in the past. I couldn’t remember the exact words, only the sentiment. It didn’t take me long to find the quote and this is what he wrote:-

“Sometimes it happens that you stall, delay, wait for something to happen. Sometimes you have the feeling that here are all the makings of a picture – except for just one thing that seems to be missing. But what one thing? Perhaps someone suddenly walks into your range of view. You follow his progress through the viewfinder. You wait and wait, and then finally you press the button – and you depart with the feeling (though you don’t know why) that you’ve really got something.”

Let me now explain the story that lies behind this image. I hope you will find it interesting. I should begin by saying that Wells Cathedral is not only a place I have visited and photographed previously, but one which never ceases to inspire me to make images. I always find that I am drawn to how the light behaves; it’s almost as if it’s playing a magical tune.

As I wandered around I noticed how a low narrow shaft of light illuminated the stone floor and the base of a large pillar at the end a row of seats. The light was coming and going but I crouched down and adjusted my position to compose the image. I peered into the screen on the back of my camera and I didn’t have to wait very long before the brightest light returned to the scene.

Just as I was about to press the shutter, a lady walked into my field of view and sat down in the chair next to the pillar. A little frustrated I stood up, but then I guess intuition took over. I crouched down again, quickly recomposed and took the shot. Just the one release as I didn’t want to attract her attention and appear to be invading her privacy. It was only later that I could see that she had her head back and eyes closed!

I looked at the screen to review what I had captured. The camera’s exposure was set to protect the highlights, so much of the image was very dark and underexposed. I would have to wait until the image was downloaded to see whether or not I had a ‘keeper’. Something inside me made me feel rather excited to find out.

There is no question that initially I had been drawn to the scene by the light. Arguably the picture lacked a true focal point and I was aware that the modern chairs were rather out of keeping with the architecture. Nevertheless I felt it was a scene worth capturing. In truth though there was something missing, and that something walked into the viewfinder at precisely the right moment. I believe that she too had been drawn to the light. It was the Christmas season so quite possibly a light of a more spiritual nature.

Perhaps you can now understand why I recalled the quote by Cartier-Bresson…… it was almost an exact match for the image I made and my experience in doing so.

For previous posts on Wells Cathedral please click on the links below: