alan frost photography

Telephone boxes …… I think this has all the makings of a new photo project.

Projects, whether they be small or large, short or long term, never fail to encourage me to go out with my camera. Excuse the pun but they give me a focus, a sense of direction and a purpose to make new work.

I try not to think too hard about what the subject might be for a new project; I simply wait for an idea to inspire me. Sometimes that flash of inspiration will fade very quickly and be dismissed. At other times the initial excitement takes hold and I can see how the project might develop. I start to research the idea and ask myself a variety of questions. How practical is it? Is there sufficient material to work with? Do I have the equipment required? Do I stick to black and white or is colour an option? What is the purpose and does the project have an end objective?

In the past few days I have latched on to the idea of photographing and documenting ‘Telephone Boxes’. We have one near where we live, although it has been repurposed, which is also true of many others. I have no idea how many still have working telephones, and in any case that number must surely be in decline. The historical aspect appeals to me and their current usage only adds to the story. Whilst still a common site, their original purpose and heyday has passed. However their passing and reinvention is I believe worth recording.

Given this thought process has only just began I don’t have all the answers yet, and in a couple of weeks time I might have dropped the concept altogether. Conversely my enthusiasm may grow. I will know soon enough. Right now I think this project has legs and I am excited.

Given this ‘flash of inspiration’ and in my desire to get started, I went out to make a few images of boxes close to our home.

Having done so I was reminded of a photograph I made a couple of years ago of a telephone box on the Ardnamurchan peninsular in Scotland. In fact this particular box is the most westerly box on the British mainland. Perhaps the idea for this project was conceived back in 2022? It’s just taken rather a long time to come to fruition!

I would like to finish by thanking and making reference to a documentary photographer, Kyle McDougall, who has a truly excellent YouTube channel. I have been following his channel for some time and I enjoy his work, very much like his style of presentation and I learn a lot from him in the process. By sheer coincidence his latest video (link below) refers to the topic of photographic projects. His thoughts and suggestions resonated with me and what he had to say reinforced the very ideas which have been going through my own mind these past few days.

Leica SL2-S firmware update – the pain and the joy!

A few weeks ago Leica released a firmware upgrade for their SL cameras, specifically v6.1.0 for the SL2-S. One of the principal issues this update addressed was the ‘Magnification via joystick’. I had missed this very useful function, and this was re-enabled in the update. It’s a big improvement to how the camera operates, particularly when using manual focus lenses, which I do all of the time.

Installing firmware updates are something of a nuisance but I had no hesitation in immediately downloading the new version and proceeded to update the camera.

Unfortunately in my haste I forgot to save the profile for all my camera settings. Whoops – I knew straightaway that I would need to reconfigure all my favourite settings, and the configuration of the function buttons etc, etc. I couldn’t help thinking ‘What a pain…….!’

However this mistake did give me the opportunity to review how my camera was set up. As a result I configured the camera quite differently and in my view it is all the better for it. Whilst muscle memory plays a part and will have to be re-learned, the new setup will soon become familiar. It should speed up the operation and give me easy access to almost everything I need without needing to enter the main menu. ‘What a joy……!’

For reference I did spend a little time preparing an ‘idiots guide’ which I could refer to in the future should the need arise. Of course I didn’t need to label the aperture ring or on/off switch but there is a little OCD in all of us! Should I change any of the settings in I’ll update the chart.

I should add that I shoot ‘fully manual’ so my settings won’t suit everyone, but they work me and being selfish that’s all that matters.

How a camera is set-up will differ from one photographer to another and no two set-ups will be same. All I can say is that it is well worthwhile investing some time into how you want to configure your camera. After all to get the most pleasure from your photography you don’t want menus and poorly laid out controls to get in the way of making a good photograph.

Happy shooting……

Eight years apart ….. different moments in time.

There is almost exactly eight years between these two images. The latest image (above) was captured on the 3rd January 2025 and the earlier image (below) on the 22nd December 2016. Clearly both photographs are of the same scene but they are very different. You may want to spend a few moments comparing the two images before reading my own thoughts and observations.

This scene of Chichester Harbour is one I know very well. It’s on a section of path on the eastern side of Fishbourne Creek, between the villages of Fishbourne and Dell Quay in West Sussex. The earlier photograph is one of a collection of images of Chichester Harbour which make up a body of work I titled ‘Still by the Water’. You can view the other images here.

Although the photograph captured just a few days ago is similar to the image of 8 years ago, there are a number of important differences and as a consequence the feel and narrative of the picture has changed.

Both are wintry scenes – one is a bright, cold, frosty but clear morning. The other a misty day with much softer light, which has given some tonal separation between the group of trees in the background and the main subject – the kissing gate.

The group of trees also appear further away than they did in the original image. There is a simple explanation. The earlier image was captured with a 50mm lens, whilst a 35mm lens was used for the image taken a few days ago. When I set out I had no intention of trying to recreate the older image and I only had the one lens/camera combination with me.

My position for the composition has changed out of necessity. Nature in the form of brambles now occupy the ground where I had stood 8 years ago. The footpath sign has been moved and now only has two fingers whereas it previously had three. Nature has again played its part. The sea has eroded sections of the sea wall so one branch of the footpath has been closed and further erosion is inevitable as each winter storm takes its toll.

As well as the light being very different there is an added element to the more recent composition – the prominent spire of Chichester Cathedral. It may be very small in the frame but its placement draws the eye and creates a new narrative, which in my view is made up of four elements.

Firstly the kissing gate which is beautifully illuminated by the early morning light. It encourages me (or the viewer) to walk through the gate, to continue along the path and the journey. There is a feeling of hope as the early morning sun rises at the start of a new day and the beginning of a new year.

Secondly the signpost offers a simple choice of direction along the pathway; which way to continue, left or right? We all face choices in life and we don’t always know the consequences of the decisions we make.

Thirdly the post could be viewed as a cross and the upright section of wood is pointing to the Cathedral Spire. A suggestion perhaps of another but altogether different journey?

Fourthly the unseen changes to the landscape; the eroding sea wall and nature taking back the land on which I once stood. These elements aren’t visible in the frame, but they are reminders that whilst a scene may on first glance be very similar, change is inevitable and given the passage of time nothing stays the same. From one day to the next the weather and lighting conditions will change. Even in the space of a few minutes the sun will move; the direction of light will alter and in this instance the frost will start to thaw.

In photography we are simply capturing a moment in time which is never to be repeated.

This is my first post of 2025, so I would like to thank all of you who follow this blog, particularly those of you who have ‘liked’ or made comments in the past 12 months. I always appreciate your feedback.

Wherever you may be, may I wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Dorset crops ….. not grain, but 1 x 2.

For many years I have been making images of my home county of Dorset with the intention of including my favourite pictures in a photobook; not necessarily for publication but simply for my own satisfaction and enjoyment. There are about 140 photographs which I have already short-listed and I have now reached the stage where I can begin making my final selection. Part of this process involves reviewing all the images, to ensure I am happy with how they have been edited and whether or not they could be improved in any way.

As I went through the portfolio there were two or three images which I thought would benefit from a ‘letterbox’ crop or to be more precise a 1×2 aspect ratio. As someone who likes to shoot 1×1 or 5×4, a 1×2 crop is well outside my comfort zone. However as I experimented I found more images which I thought were enhanced by selecting this particular crop.

In this post have included a few photographs which have undergone this treatment. As well a changing the overall feel of the image I like the fact they will add variety and interest to the book.

Some of these images were made some years ago and I think this exercise also demonstrates how a critical and constructive review of an edited photograph can bring dividends.

If you have enjoyed this post do please like or leave a comment and subscribe to my blog. Thank you.

A Still retreat – a mindful approach to creative photography with Paul Sanders

I have recently returned from arguably the best photographic workshop I have ever attended. I could stop there but let me explain my reasons for why I feel this way and share with you some of the images I made.

The workshop, or to use the correct term, retreat, was organised and run by Paul Sanders of Discover Still. I first met Paul a number of years ago when I heard him give an inspiring talk at Fotofest in Bath. He explained how being the Picture Editor for The Times drove him to the grip of depression before leaving that role in 2011 and turning to landscape photography. On the ‘About’ page of his website he states:

‘I traded noise and materialism for something far more precious: peace.’

The idea of attending one of his retreats only came to me a few weeks ago. Reading its description appealed to me on several levels. Firstly a holiday in a beautiful quiet location, staying in a manor house and enjoying the food prepared by a private chef. Secondly the opportunity to meet like minded photographers and to be inspired by them. Thirdly and out of choice, to have a complete break from all television, news, social media and any of life’s other distractions. And lastly to be encouraged and motivated by a facilitator who’s images I greatly admire and who I thought would adopt a very different approach to the concept of a photographic workshop. This was not about rushing to one ‘honeypot’ photo location, taking a few pictures, then moving on to the next destination trying to find the tripod holes left by the previous group of image makers. The retreat was based at The Stewardry on The Boconnoc Estate in Cornwall and there we would stay for the duration.

On the evening we arrived Paul explained that each participant could take things at their own pace, going to out to photograph when ever they wanted, or just stopping and being quiet to take in the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the nature around us. He made it clear that it was only by giving ourselves permission to stop, look around, touch and listen that our minds would begin to absorb nature and in so doing images might reveal themselves to us.

He reminded us of a quote by the American Photographer Minor White –

‘Be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence.’