Photography | alan frost photography

Posts from the ‘Photography’ category

Exploring colour landscape photography: a shift from monochrome ….. because variety is the spice of life

*Storm approaching the dunes at East Head, West Sussex*

Here on the south coast of England we have experienced a very dry and hot summer. Several months have passed with no rain whatsoever. The ground is bone dry, grass has turned to straw and I fear that some of the plants in our garden will not have survived the drought.

From a photographic point of view summer is never a good time of year for me. The sun is too high in the sky, the contrast is too great and clear blue skies maybe great for a day at the beach but there is no mood and atmosphere to capture. Plus, and being somewhat selfish, there are too many people at the places I wish to photograph.

So apart from the occasional shoot, I have spent the last few weeks and months giving more time to reflect and think about my photography. Devising plans for when the weather changes, the days become shorter and the light is more favourable. One area of specific consideration has been whether or not I should make more images in colour.

Ever since 2012 virtually all my work has been in black and white. You only need to look through past entries or any of my galleries (apart from one) to see that black and white is ostensibly what I do. However I make images for my own pleasure. There are no rules which inhibit me from doing anything I like, and that includes switching to colour if I so wish, even if I naturally default to monochrome.

As I haven’t been out with my camera I have been trawling through my back catalogue of thousands of images and selecting a few which I have now processed in colour. Some have been captured this year others have lain idle on the hard drive for many years. I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my time in this way. I have come across many images which I had largely forgotten. Seeing them afresh as well as opening my eyes to colour has been quite liberating.

There is no question in my mind that monochrome and colour are two very different photographic disciplines. Over time my photographic eye has learnt to see the world in black and white, helped of course by being able to preview the image on the rear screen or in the EVF. Photographs that work in mono do not always make a good colour image and vice versa. Perhaps this goes without saying but it does make me think that a fundamental decision needs to be made before the shutter is released. The decision is one of intent – is the end result going to be in black and white or colour? And how might this choice impact on the composition, exposure and any other factors which could be relevant and improve the final outcome.

In editing this selection of images I have very quickly come to realise there are a whole new set of processing skills I need to learn and hone to make pleasing colour photographs. Well, images that I am happy with anyway. Of course I understand the fundamentals of colour editing but I need to practice much more and develop a better understanding of the tools which are available to me and which I wouldn’t have used previously to make a black and white picture. I fully recognise the workflow is not the same and I will need to make adjustments accordingly. To be frank I am looking forward to the challenge.

*Late afternoon, Fishbourne Meadows, West Sussex*

In editing these images I have noticed two things in particular. Firstly my choice of crop or aspect ratio. Originally these were all captured on a full frame or APSC camera with a 3×2 aspect ratio but in many cases I have cropped the image to 16×9 or even 3×1. I don’t think this has anything to do with the fact that they are colour files necessarily, but I really like how this ‘letterbox’ approach changes the overall feel and impact of the image. Fortunately the large sensors offered by most if not all camera manufacturers today provides plenty of latitude when cropping without degrading the image too much.

Secondly colour balance or colour temperature has a big affect on the feel of the photograph. Should it be cool or warm? Any noticeable colour cast could of course render the picture unrealistic but there are creative choices to be made. I always shoot in RAW so adjusting the white balance is quite straightforward, although I did find myself revisiting this aspect of the editing process as I wasn’t always happy with my first or even my second attempt!

Being creative with colour as opposed to black and white is not the same. Black and white is far more flexible in this respect. The lack of colour means a mono image is instantly an abstraction of what we normally see as we go about our daily lives. If you applied the edits in a mono conversion to the same colour file, the result would probably be horrendous so as I said earlier the two disciplines are very different.

*Marker Post, West Wittering, West Sussex*

Looking forward it is my intention to make many more images in colour although I don’t think I will ever lose my love for black and white. How could I after so many years? But there is a place for both styles of imagery and as the old saying goes – ‘variety is the spice of life’.

*White Strand of the Monks, Isle of Iona, Scotland*

Life and light in the stillness ….. feelings evoked by my local churchyard.

For the past couple of years a large section of my local churchyard has been left to grow wild. Untended, the grasses grow, and will gradually die back, more so in this hot dry summer. They provide a habitat for insects, birds and possibly other wildlife as well. In early autumn the area is cleared and nature’s cycle will continue. Cut back, dormant, only to re-emerge and thrive again next spring.

Churchyards are places of peace and sanctuary which evoke many contrary emotions. They are there for those that have gone before us. The old headstones and crosses mark the lives of the many generations who were once alive and part of village life. In some cases the inscriptions are still visible but these are old stones, so more often than not the words of remembrance and the dates of the dearly departed have been worn away, eroded by the elements. I can only imagine the tales that are buried in the ground beneath my feet.

The other day I dusted off my tripod and gathered together my ND filters, and decided to try and capture how I felt about this place. On the one hand there is stillness. The age-ed gravestones no longer upright but weathered and leaning from the passage of time. Resilient to change, protected and to be respected. The gusting wind and sun would play their part. The grasses waving as the wind ebbed and flowed. Sunlight fleetingly disappearing behind thin cloud only to reappear a few moments later. Essential ingredients which helped me realise the images I had in mind. A mix of life, movement, light and death.

From a photographic point of view I enjoyed being alone for a few hours. Over two sessions I immersed myself in the scene as I discovered new compositions. Moving and adjusting the position of the tripod, swapping lenses and ND filters. Manually focusing and varying the camera’s settings to try and achieve the look I was after. Simply being creative.

I understand that for many people churchyards are sombre and melancholic places. I find it hard not to share these feelings. However there are also feelings of resilience, rebirth, remembrance, respect and ultimately love and hope as we contend with the challenges that are placed before us each and every day.

Derwentwater….. arguably the Lake District at its most beautiful

Age and an adversity to risk stop me from venturing very far up into the hills these days. I know if I did such walks would reveal some wonderful vistas of this majestic area. Yes, there are great viewpoints from the high passes which can be reached by car, but somehow it’s not quite the same as a day out fell walking followed by a pint and a pie back in the village pub nestled in the valley below.

Looking back I sometimes wish I had been a little more adventurous when age and fitness were on my side, nevertheless a less challenging walk along the shoreline of Derwentwater still comes with many rewards. There are scenes which are simply beautiful. Some might argue they truly encapsulate what the Lake District is all about. Big skies above the hills which are reflected in a large stretch of water. Assuming of course the air is still and the water calm.

These images taken of Derwentwater a few weeks ago on a rather lovely morning are well known scenes which have inspired many an artist and photographer. Witnessing for yourself the majesty of the landscape and nature at its finest, is very gratifying and good for the soul.

Chiaroscuro – the light and the dark ….. inspired by Ansel Adams

I would think that most photographers have been inspired by the work of Ansel Adams. I know I have. Ansel Adams was a great exponent of chiaroscuro. The art of using strong contrast in a picture where light subjects are set against a dark background or conversely dark subjects are set against a light background. When used creatively it can work so well in monochrome photography. As well as adding depth to an image, it can be used in a very impactful and dramatic way.

Over the years I think I have learned to see in black and white. To understand how a scene or particular subject will translate to monochrome. To seek out compositions which when processed make an interesting and pleasing image. I am helped of course by the camera having a black and white preview but I need to spot the potential image first, long before I reach for the shutter button.

It’s not very often that I only post a single photograph, let alone provide an explanation as to why I enjoy the result. On this occasion I considered this picture of a dead tree in its skeletal form worthy of doing so. My reasoning – well for me it’s a good example of why I love black and white photography.

The horizon line virtually splits the image in half. Light adjoins dark. The uppermost branches stand out against the bright clouds. I have used the dark areas in the sky to prevent the eye wandering outside the frame. The lower part of the tree is bathed in light, enhancing their shape, texture and form. They contrast so well with the dark background of nearby trees and hills in the distance. I like the inclusion of a building, just to the left of the trunk. This adds scale and depth to the image without it being a distraction to the main subject.

At the time of taking, I ask myself how can I process the image to best effect. Will I need to darken parts of the sky and in the case of this image, where do I place the branches of the tree to make the most pleasing composition. I would like to think the answers to all these questions have resulted in an image which you can enjoy.

I have many photography books which I probably don’t look at as often as I should. One of these books is ‘Ansel Adams – 400 Photographs’. A truly wonderful collection of his work spanning many decades. His use of light and dark, form and texture, all of which he brings together to enhance the composition. Every page is a lesson in the art of great photography and includes many examples of how chiaroscuro is used to excellent effect. A book for every photographer’s shelf.

Photographic workflow – Part 4 ….. the print is the performance.

The great Ansel Adams is quoted as saying:

“The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print is the performance“

Or in this digital age, you can replace the word negative with digital or RAW file.

I can think of no better way to sum up the importance of printing your photographs. In the days of film (which still applies of course) any negative worthy of presentation was printed in the darkroom. Bathed in red light there was an air of anticipation and excitement, as the photographer gently washed developer fluid over the paper. And as if by magic the image would slowly start to appear.

The art of photography is only complete when the image appears on a sheet of photographic paper. This is when the captured image finally comes to life. You can hold it in your hand, feel the surface and weight of the paper and pass it around for others to see and enjoy. Leaving a processed image on a hard drive is no different to storing the negative strip in an envelope which never sees the light of day. In my opinion an excellent photograph, or just one of your favourites, should be printed.

In Part 4 of this series on photographic workflow I want to write about printing. This post has been delayed as I decided to buy a new printer which arrived this week and I thought it might be interesting to share with you the reasons why I chose an Epson SC-P700. I will go through how it is set up, the software I use for printing, my paper selection and lastly making the print.

( I have added the links to Parts 1, 2 and 3 of my photographic workflow at the end of the entry)

After a little research I decided the right printer for my purposes would be the Epson SC-P700. An A3+ photo printer using pigment inks. It’s quite compact and I liked its functionality. Ten or more years ago I bought an Epson 3880 A2 printer. It is still working but I don’t have the space for it in the room where I use my computer equipment. Besides my wife wanted a printer for her artwork, so I decided to treat myself.

I no longer want to print as large as A2, A3+ is plenty large enough. In additon to its reduced size and weight, perhaps the biggest advantage of the P700 over the 3880, is that it has separate ink feeds for the Photo Black and Matte Black ink cartridges. The Epson 3880 has one feed for both these cartridges. This means that whenever you want to switch between a gloss and a matte paper, the printer would have to change the feed from one cartridge to the other. It took time and in the process wasted a lot of ink.

I am still getting to know the new printer but I like the fact it has a semi-opaque top cover with a built-in light. This allows you to see the photograph as it’s being printed. It’s not as magical as being in darkroom but I enjoy it all the same. I no longer have to wait until the paper re-appears at the front of the machine to see how things are going. I also appreciate the pop up screen. It’s good quality and the touch menu is easy to navigate. Far more intuitive to use than the buttons and menu of the Epson 3880. It even gives you a historical readout of the prints you have made, the date and time it was printed and the settings used. Very useful. Time has moved on and you would expect the functions of a printer to improve and they have been with the P700.

I won’t go into any more detail about my decision making process, but I would like to thank Keith Cooper of Northlight Images for his incredibly helpful website and YouTube Channel. A commercial photographer based in the UK, what Keith doesn’t know about digital printing isn’t worth knowing. I have learned a huge amount from his insightful and very comprehensive articles and videos. There is a link below to his review of the Epson SC-P700 which includes a very useful section on how to set up the machine.

Epson SC-P700 printer review

Out of the box to making my first print took me about an hour and a half. It connected to my WiFi network without any problem at all. Another big plus as I no longer have a long lead trailing across the carpet for me to trip over! Overall it was quite straightforward although I did need to delete and reinstall the Epson Print Layout software for it to recognize the printer. Once I had done this I was good to go.

One further point – having installed the ink cartridges the initialization process takes about 15 minutes and Epson are quite transparent when they say this uses quite a lot of ink. The supplied cartridges are not full of ink out of the box, so I was quite pleased to see the remaining supply levels once the printer was set up. As I will rarely be printing in colour I just bought spare cartridges of the four Black/Gray inks. There should be sufficient colour ink to last me for quite a while. Keep in mind that even a black and white print will use some of the colour ink. Epson also supplies a spare maintenance tank, as the one included fills up quite quickly during the initialization apparently.

There are many ways to print from Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity Photo or indeed Capture One which is my preferred RAW processor. However I think the simplest solution, and it suits my workflow, is to use Epson Print Layout. You can find out more about it and download the right version for your computer and operating system here – Epson Print Layout .

From Capture One I can select an image then ‘Open with’ Epson Print Layout. I have already ‘baked in’ all my adjustments and created a Tiff file. If this is not the case then to carry any adjustments across to Epson Print Layout which have been made in Capture One I need to ‘Edit with’. From there it’s simply a case of selecting the media type, paper size and so on. I then use the Advanced B&W Photo settings which are again very straightforward to use for printing in monochrome of course. I have rarely, if ever, used an ICC Colour Profile. In my opinion it’s just not necessary to get a truly great black and white print.

Before printing I had to choose the type of paper for the photos I want to print. Sounds obvious of course, but making the right choice has a significant bearing on the look of the finished photograph. There is a bewildering selection of papers from many manufacturers. They all offer a range of glossy, lustre, matte, fine art papers and the list goes on. Some have a slight texture and some are more suited to black and white than others. Test packs of various papers are useful but for the work I want to print I was looking for a paper that perhaps best mimicked a paper that would have been used in the darkroom. I selected a Baryta Paper by Canson, pictured here. (Baryta Prestige II). I have used Canson papers in the past and always liked the results. It’s quite a thick heavyweight paper at 340gsm, so it feels substantial in the hand.

Having set up the machine I ran a quick test using an ordinary sheet of plain A4 paper. I ran this through the printer just to make sure it was working correctly. This gave me the confidence to use a sheet of Canson paper for my first print. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the result.

For more information about printing on Baryta type papers do watch the video below. Again it’s by Keith Cooper of Northlight Images, and is well worth sparing some of your time. So too is the video giving his advice on Advanced B&W Fine Art Printing.

The next stage, and one which presents quite a challenge, is choosing which images to print. I know this is going to prove difficult as the cost of printing can’t be ignored. I will have to be quite ruthless in my selection and only print my favourite images. I did print a lot when I was submitting pictures for club competitions or on the few occasions I was going to exhibit my work. Those days are behind me now, so I simply want to print a selection of images for my own pleasure. I could have sent them to a photo lab but I much prefer printing my work. I feel more in control of the finished result.

I intend starting with a project which has been ongoing for some time now. Images of the Dorset landscape close to where I live. I had already printed contact sheets onto sheets of A3 paper as shown below. There are 140 photographs and more are still be captured. At a little over £3 per A3 sheet, not to mention the cost of the ink, printing all of them would be a very expensive exercise! I may decide to print more than one photograph per sheet. Epson Print Layout works well in this regard as you can easily set up and save templates for repeated use.

This post is already a rather lengthy one, and I am beginning to think the topic of collation, final selection, preparation for print, presentation and storage is a subject in its own right. So there may well be a Part 5 to this Photographic workflow series.

For now I hope you have found this post interesting and if you wish to look at Parts 1, 2 and 3 here are the links below.

Photographic workflow – Part 1 ….. Seeking inspiration

Photographic workflow – Part 2 ….. Image Capture ….. and why I chose to buy a Leica Q3

Photographic workflow – Part 3 ….. Processing in the digital darkroom ….. the before and after

Lastly let me remind you of where I started. To paraphrase Ansel Adams –

“The Raw file is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print is the performance.”