A few weeks ago I had the day off work and was watching the weather forecast and the tide times with more than a degree of interest. I knew that the tide was going to be very low in the afternoon and the forecast was indicating that early morning cloud and rain would clear around lunchtime as well.
A trip down to East Head in West Wittering was planned, and being out of season and a normal work day, I did not expect to see many other people. A low tide, improving weather and no people should be good recipe for a few photographs of this wonderful Sussex coastline.
This is a location which is never stays the same, the tide and light constantly changing, revealing endless photographic opportunities to be enjoyed and captured.
Do click on any of the images to view a larger version which will open in a new window.
Here are some links to more entries which feature this particular location.
It’s hard to believe that three months have passed since I visited Snowdonia. I had a great time and after a lot of processing, curating and ten blog entries later, I have now put together a gallery page of what I consider to be my favourite images. The ones that take me straight back to a particular location. I can remember the time of day, the weather conditions and what I was trying to achieve when I took the shot. The gallery is here.
Pressing the shutter doesn’t work every time, far from it in fact, and my ‘keeper rate’ is probably no better than 1 in 50, but I am very happy with that. Sometimes the light wouldn’t be right, or the image would be badly composed or out of focus. Inevitably there would be many occasions when I didn’t select the correct camera settings, or quite simply I was trying to take a photograph when a good image never existed in the first place. But that’s the joy of photography.
I believe that each time you press the shutter you should learn something from the experience. That way I learn more from the ones I didn’t get right, as opposed to the ones that eventually find their way to the printer or onto this blog.
I have included some new images in this entry but the gallery itself is made up of 39 photographs, so do click here to visit the Snowdonia Gallery page.
I do hope to have the opportunity to return to Snowdonia later this year. It’s an inspiring and beautiful place for any visitor, let alone a photographer. The changing light and dramatic scenery are very special indeed.
Last but not least I would like to extend a big thank you to fellow WordPress blogger Andy Beal FRPS for organising and hosting an excellent and instructive workshop. To David Mills ARPS for his extensive knowledge of the area, and finally to the other participants for their company and good humour. Together we had a lot of fun and a week of photograph to remember.
If you want to visit any of the previous blog entries I have added all the links below, together with a thumbnail image to whet your appetite.
It’s not very often that I am out and about with my camera when it’s misty. This may be because we don’t seem to experience these conditions very often. Alternatively it could just be that I am too lazy to get up early enough to take some shots, and before the rising sun has had a chance to mess things up!
A few days ago we had a lot of rain and after a cold, dry and still night I was hoping that we might get some mist the following morning. We did, and for once I was mentally prepared. My wife and I, together with our dog, went out for a walk and I had my camera. One camera, my Monochrom; just my 50mm Summilux prime lens to keep it simple, and these are the images I was able to make. I hope you like them.
To view a larger version, just click on an image and it will open in a new window.
In a break from my own black and white photography, I am looking forward to seeing a retrospective exhibition of the work by Saul Leiter (1923 to 2013) at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. It starts this coming Friday, January 22nd, and runs until April 3rd, so there is plenty of time to plan a visit.
Nowadays everyone likes to think they are a street photographer, as everyone takes photographs on the street, so by definition they are a street photographer. That might be true to an extent, but simply taking photographs on the street doesn’t mean they make great photographs. Far from it in fact.
Saul Leiter was a marvellous photographer but widespread fame really only emerged in the 1980’s. Born in Pittsburgh in 1923 he moved to New York to be an artist, but in the 1940’s he started taking black and white photographs of his surroundings. For me and for many others he has left a legacy of some wonderful work. Although my passion is for mono, I particularly enjoy his colour photographs. Some of his most famous photos were shot in the 1950’s and 60’s. Rarely can the faces be seen, much is left to the viewers imagination, but the compositions and the use of shapes and colours are superb. There is both a painterly and almost semi abstract quality to his work.
I rather like this quote by the photographer himself.
“When we do not know why the photographer has taken a picture and when we do not know why we are looking at it, all of a sudden we discover something that we start seeing. I like this confusion.” Saul Leiter
In the year before Saul Leiter passed away, Tomas Leach made a film documentary called – ‘In No Great Hurry’ – 13 lessons in life with Saul Leiter. It was filmed as Saul Leiter drank coffee and tried to sort through a lifetime of photographs piled high in his New York Apartment. For those who are interested there is a short trailer below. I have yet to watch the film but I will definitely do so before visiting the exhibition.
I’m no street photographer, nor do I take many colour photographs, but if like me you can appreciate and be inspired by the work of a great photographer or artist, then I would suggest you try and find the time to visit The Photographers’ Gallery. Saul Leiter was in no great hurry, but I for one can’t wait to visit this exhibition.
My last post gave a description of Cwmorthin slate quarry and included a number of photographs all taken in the lower section of the valley. You can read this entry here. The upper section is reached from the valley by walking up a fairly steep and long path, but it is well worth the effort. Here there are the remains of more buildings, old machinery and large pieces of slate, set into the ground like tombstones; memorials for the miners who once worked here and gave their lives to this dangerous industry.
A note about processing – This post and the one before it, have a total of ten images all were taken on the same day in similar light and depict the harsh and rather bleak environment of Cwmorthin slate quarry. When grouping images such as these together, I recognise the importance of consistent processing to produce a harmonious set of images. However these photographs were not all processed at the same time. Some were done many weeks ago, others more recently to complete the set. Initially there was a lack of consistency in my approach. I had not used a particular preset, so I found it more difficult to achieve the look I wanted. Having compared and then tweaked all the images, I finally applied a split tone, as I felt this was warranted. In my view it would add something to the look and feel of the photographs, with the aim of reflecting the atmosphere of the location.
