There is something to be said for getting out a map and without spending too much time choosing a location which you haven’t visited before. To enjoy the change, explore new paths never knowing what you might come across.
I did this recently and I intend to repeat the experience on many future occasions. Irrespective of the weather and length of walk there are always images to be made.
I have included a small selection of photographs taken recently on a Sunday morning stroll to the South East of East Chaldon village in Dorset, also known as Chaldon Herring. With more time this walk could easily be extended to include a section of the South West Coast path to visit either Durdle Door or Ringstead Bay.
Back in June 2012 when I first launched this blog I don’t think it ever occurred to me that 12 years later I would still be making photographs and writing about my photographic thoughts and experiences. Surely it would just be a fun thing to do for a while? The initial enthusiasm would wear thin, the commitment and inspiration would slowly die and I would move on and do something else with my time wouldn’t I? Well no, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting at my keyboard today!
(Please note – I have illustrated this post with a few images which have appeared over the years, with links in the caption to the relevant entry)
It’s been a very long time since I checked the statistics provided by WordPress so I thought I would take a quick look. This will be post number 460 and to date I have written just over 180,000 words. These may or may not be significant numbers compared to other blogs but when you think that a 300 page novel contains on average about 82,500 words I am now in the early stages of my third book. I can’t tell you the total number of images without counting them all but I would guess that I average a minimum of 3 images per post, so that’s approximately 1,500 pictures. Ignoring figures I am proud of the fact that I have shared my images and thoughts over this time and I hope that a few regular readers and new visitors have enjoyed and benefitted in some small way from the content.
Things have inevitably changed over this period and I am fully aware that I am not as prolific as I was in the first few years. In fact for the first five years on average I would post once a week, even though back then I was working full time. Since 2020 it’s more like once a month even though I am now retired and should in theory have more time, but other hobbies and interests somehow get in the way.
I am very aware that my enthusiasm for photography has waned in more recent times, we have moved house and Covid and the associated lock-downs unquestionably changed thinking and behaviour.
Photography for me has become a more solitary pursuit. In those early years I was a competitive member of a camera club; I took part in exhibitions; I worked hard to achieve both Licentiateship and Associateship distinctions of the Royal Photographic Society. I attended a number of photographic workshops and for a few years I gave talks about my photography to camera clubs. These incentives to participate and make new work no longer apply – my own choice entirely, although changing circumstances have played their part.
So what about the future direction of my photography and more specifically this blog?
This blog is for me akin to a journal or online diary. In fact when blogs first appeared on the internet back in 1994 that’s exactly how they were described. In 1997 the term ‘Weblog’ was used but this was shortened to ‘Blog’ two years later. In the early 2000’s blogging really took off and WordPress was formed in 2003. Social Media, vlogging and the rise of AI and ChatGPT have all changed the world. They have all influenced how we react to events and communicate with one another, and will continue to do so.
The question therefore arises – ‘Does my humble blog and website still have any relevance?’ Absolutely is my answer and let me explain why.
I think my blog can be likened in some ways to the chicken and the egg conundrum. Which comes first – the content; i.e. photographs which inspire me to compose another blog entry; or the blog itself which encourages me to go out and make content which I can then write about?
To my mind both explanations have a degree of truth. Photography is an art, a form of creativity but so is writing a blog post. Ideas, consideration and sometimes research is required before typing any words. I enjoy being creative, making images and then writing about my photography. I can share both the pictures and what I have to say with others. The whole process gets me thinking and that in itself is a form of creativity. If I do have photographs or thoughts I wish to share then this is an ideal platform for me to go about it. After I have been out with my camera and return home, I download the files, process the images and choose the ones which bring me the most pleasure – it’s then a natural conclusion to finish the work flow by writing a post and hitting ‘publish’. It’s another chapter in the ‘book’ completed before I move on and start working towards the next one. Likes and preferably comments are of course always welcome but as I have already stated, this hobby of mine is a rather solitary pursuit and irrespective of the feedback I will carry on with what I have been doing for the past 12 years simply for my own personal pleasure and satisfaction.
So what about the future. If there is some truth in the notion that this blog motivates me to be more creative then I do need to be more productive. I don’t want to make content just for the sake of it as I would like to maintain or even enhance the quality of that content. However throughout my working life I was expected to work towards a set of targets. My pay and reward depended upon it. That is no longer the case thank goodness, but having a goal or something that provides a focus is no bad thing. Over the coming months I intend to publish an average of two posts a month. If I exceed this number all well and good but I consider this to be an achievable aim.
Whether the chicken or egg comes first I neither know nor mind!
There are times during a church visit when the building or a particular object ‘speaks’ to me, and when it does I like to spend time exploring that subject. To look for different compositions but more than that to try and tell a broader message, a story which lies behind the images – or in other words the reason why I was drawn to the subject in the first place.
This is the first of a two part post on St Eloi’s, Llandeloy, Pembrokeshire in Wales. Tucked away it’s about 8 miles inland from St David’s Cathedral an altogether different and famous religious building which will attract many thousands of visitors. I doubt whether St Eloi’s will attract a couple of hundred people through its ancient doorway in a single year.
The principal subject for this entry is the book of prayer open at The Communion and sitting on an old prayer stand. Judging by the dirt it’s hard to know how long these two pages have been exposed to the light and not been turned.
Moving back, the prayer stand itself is revealed, as well as the uneven stone floor and steps. An altar top is just visible. The light falls on the prayer book and a faint shadow of the stand on the floor suggests a window opening above.
Changing the angle of view reveals a simple pew set off to the side, room enough for two or maybe three parishioners.
The image below arguably shows the whole scene. A plain metal cross stands on the stone altar top. It is in fact a side altar or bye-altar, which is subordinate to the central or high altar to be found in another part of the church. The window reveal is shaped by the incoming light shining on roughly hewn stone. Also clearly visible are what I assume to be mice droppings. It would appear that this church isn’t used or cleaned on a regular basis.
Taken at face value each picture is purely descriptive in its nature, however there is another narrative.
I find it sad to witness but these photographs depict an ongoing and wider problem as fewer and fewer people attend church and consequently more and more churches will fail and become redundant. Places of historical and architectural merit. Spiritual places often playing host to works of religious art, and certainly places which are full of memories from centuries past.
Charitable institutions have been formed to save and care for these special buildings. One such charity is the Friends of Friendless Churches, which not only look after St Eloi’s but work to rescue and protect more than 60 other churches of all denominations across Wales and England. However they rely heavily on donations and volunteers, an uphill struggle at any time.
On the one hand I feel a sense of joy that these churches are being preserved for future generations but on the other hand I cannot ignore a feeling of melancholy, as past times are remembered but hopefully will never be forgotten. Future generations should be able to witness for themselves the important of these sacred places.
This is the first post following my recent visit to St Eloi’s in early June. You will be able to read the second post in the next few days.
A couple of years ago I published a post titled ‘Switching from Leica to Fujifilm….well not exactly’. In summary I explained how I had decided to move away from a Leica camera body in favour of Fujifilm, albeit that I retained three Leica M lenses, so that I could continue to use them with a lens adapter on Fujifilm X series cameras. I won’t repeat the content of that post here, but do click on the link above if you would like to understand the background before reading the rest of this entry.
Fujifilm XT3 with 10-24mm wide angle zoom lens
Back to the current day. Why have I reverted back to Leica? What prompted me to do so and what equipment do I now use? I hope my answers to these questions will be of interest to you and may even assist you when you are choosing your own photographic gear.
When I invested in a Fujifilm XT3, I had anticipated that I would be able to enjoy the best of all worlds. I bought some zoom lenses to cover a wide range of focal lengths (10 – 24mm f4, 16 – 80mm f4 and 55 – 200mm f3.5 to f4.8). The Fuji has an APSC cropped sensor, so this gave me the equivalent range of 15mm to 300mm based on a 35mm full frame sensor. It would cover every eventually or so I thought. I still had my Leica M glass of course (35mm f1.4, 50mm f1.4 and 90mm f2.4) which on the XT3 gave me three fast prime lenses with focal lengths of approximately 52mm, 75mm and 135mm (in 35mm terms). What more could I want? Well for starters a very large camera bag and a strong back if I was to carry all of this gear around at the same time, however this was only the beginning of my deliberations.
Knowing I couldn’t practically or physically take everything on a photo outing I had to make certain decisions at home. Zoom lenses, or just the primes, or a combination and if so which ones? The answer would always come back to what I was hoping to see and potentially photograph. Sometimes I would have a good idea which made the selection process easier, but on other occasions the choice was less straightforward.
When I did choose the prime lenses I soon discovered the drawbacks. Firstly I didn’t own a wide angle M lens. I had traded in a Zeiss 18mm M lens in favour of the Fuji 10 – 24. Even if I had kept it the 18mm would only be the equivalent of a 27mm field of view with the crop sensor. Secondly none of the Fuji zoom lenses were that fast for low light conditions nor would they give me a shallow depth of field. Don’t get me wrong they are excellent lenses but like any zoom lens they have their limitations as to how they can used. Thirdly the shallow depth of field on a crop sensor does not behave in the the same way as it would on a full frame sensor. I had also grown accustomed to taking advantage of the depth of field scale on the M lenses. I have always enjoyed manual focusing, they give me a sense of complete control and if I wanted to resort to setting the aperture and lens to cover a certain focal range I could do so very easily and I would rely upon the result. This was no longer true when paired with the XT3 crop sensor. Some of the magic had gone from using the superlative M lenses.
50mm lens showing the depth of field scale.
By now you can probably begin to sense my growing frustration. The final nail in the coffin came when I began considering the true nature of my photography. What are my favoured genres and subjects. More importantly what images am I trying to make? Were these aspects of my photography hindered by my camera equipment and if so what changes were desirable?
The more I thought about this the natural conclusion soon became clear. The answer was of course a resounding yes, I was being held back. I was no longer able to make the images I really wanted. Take for example my church photography. To evoke the feelings I am after in a photograph I often use the lens wide open at say f1.4 to give me a shallow depth of field or soft background. The effect can be quite subtle as in the picture below, but it’s there and an important element of the image as far as I am concerned. Shooting wide open not only gives me the ‘look’ I want but it also allows me the freedom to work hand held without having to ramp up the ISO. I don’t have to rely on a tripod, which can be cumbersome and awkward in the confines of a small church.
North Stoke Church, West Sussex
My other love is the great outdoors whether that be a landscape, old farm buildings or a dramatic scene but I am not one to favour the type of picture captured by an extreme wide angle lens, nor a long telephoto lens for that matter.
The picture below was a spontaneous capture of an atmospheric scene which soon passed as the wind got up and the reflections in the water disappeared.
Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides
In summary then, if your camera equipment is hampering your style and you are no longer truly enjoying using the equipment you have, then it may be time to ask yourself a number of questions – What should I do about it? What can I change to improve both process and outcome? Above all what images do I want to make? Affordability will of course be a consideration and I recognise I am fortunate when it comes to setting a budget.
Leica SL2-S with 50mm F1.4 Summilux lens (I put black tape over the Leica badge – it’s more discreet)
As I said earlier I have now reverted back to Leica as my main camera of choice but which model? Towards the end of last year I purchased a Leica SL2-S along with another Leica M Lens – the Super Elmar 21mm f3.4. I had previously owned the original SL Type 601, but the SL2-S is an altogether better camera not least because it now has in body image stabilisation. It is faster in use and whilst the sensor is still only 24mp (a sweet spot as far as am concerned), noise control at high ISOs is excellent. In some ways I regret parting with the first SL, but I have learnt from the experience. When compared to the Fuji XT3 I prefer the way the SL2-S handles. It fits my hands perfectly. The customisation of the function buttons gives me easy access to make quick changes when necessary and the menu in my opinion is less complicated to use than on the Fuji. Oh and I mustn’t forget to mention the superb EVF which makes manual focusing an absolute breeze. Combined with the Leica M glass the resultant DNG image files are excellent and are very good to post process. All in all it is a joy to use.
From left to right 21mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm.
In conclusion my ‘go to’ equipment is now the Leica SL2-S camera body paired with the 21mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm primes. I guess I am a purist at heart and trying to mix a Fuji camera body with Leica glass was never going to work, well not for me anyway. I truly love prime lenses and the artistic choices they give me, not to mention the joy I experience every time I use them. They suit my style of photography, they are like old friends. When I tried to change the relationship I had with them they reacted accordingly!
Not only has my passion returned for the equipment I possess, but I no longer have to use a large camera bag. The beauty of the M lenses is their compact size. Yes they are quite heavy (as is the camera itself) but I can easily carry the camera and a lens (normally the nifty fifty) with one or more of the other three lenses and a few accessories in a shoulder bag. On longer walks I will still use a camera back pack, but I now have more room for refreshments, extra clothing etc. It works well and most definitely suits my needs. I don’t have tricky decisions to make concerning which lenses to take out with me.
I accept that with this setup I don’t have access to an extreme wide angle or the reach of a long telephoto but as I have already explained my eye doesn’t see the world in that way. Changing lenses happens more frequently but that is no bad thing, it slows me down and makes me think more about compositional choices. Fortunately these four lenses all share the same filter thread – 46mm – which also makes my life easier when using filters etc.
The chances of me being able to make images that please me have improved and even if I don’t capture anything worthwhile then I will have enjoyed the process anyway.
In a nutshell isn’t that what being a photographer is all about?
A misty rural scene – typical of the images I like to make in the countryside
As I type these words, I peer through the window and the rain continues to fall. It was a very wet and mild winter and the summer is proving to be neither hot nor particularly dry. Long walks have been in short supply but a morning stroll along a new pathway is always satisfying. I parked the car at the top of the rise just south of Hill Dairy on the road to West Chaldon in Dorset. I headed west along the farm track, across the road which leads to Holworth before returning along the same route. I much prefer a circular walk, but on this occasion time was limited.
Although quite overcast the clouds provided visual interest and when the sun did break through it would cast light on the fields to the north and the south. The views of the rolling countryside were very pleasing indeed and this is an area worthy of further exploration in the future. in total the walk took about an hour at a gentle pace and only covered 2.3 miles with an ascent and descent of 167ft, so hardly strenuous. Just right for a breath of fresh air and some fine views on a Sunday morning.
Route map of the walk
I hoped that I might be able to take a few photographs but didn’t want to carry a bag full of gear, so the Fuji X100v had to be the camera of choice. I have had the camera for a little over 4 years now and it really is an ideal companion when out walking. Although it has now been superseded by the X100vi with its larger 40.2mp sensor, I have no plans to upgrade. 26.1mp is more than adequate for my needs.
As you can see from the image below I have added a few accessories over time which in my view all serve a useful purpose and much improve the handling and functionality of the camera.
Fuji X100v with a number of accessories
In no particular order –
A lens hood made by Squarehood which still allows the use of a UV filter. Without one the camera is no longer weather sealed. As well as cutting out any stray light the hood prevents grubby fingermarks getting on the filter and I no longer use a lens cover, which I am only likely to lose anyway.
A front hand grip by JJC which incorporates an arca swiss compatible base plate for mounting on a tripod. Plus a thumb grip which I find essential to firmly grip the camera. Although the most expensive option I chose one made by Lensmate in America. Unlike any of the others for sale it has a folding mechanism to give greater access to buttons and dials.
The combination of these accessories greatly improves the comfort and handling although I accept they do add to its bulk. A small price to pay in my view opinion.
Lastly a soft release button again by JJC. – I had never used one before but it does make the control of the shutter release button that much easier.
None of these items guarantee good photographs of course but they do make this excellent little camera even more pleasurable to use.
Here are a selection of images captured on this walk.
alan frost photography 