Photography | alan frost photography

Posts from the ‘Photography’ category

People at the Goodwood Revival

Each year the Goodwood Revival has a theme and this year was no exception. As you entered the circuit, a group of rowdy football fans could be heard shouting “C’mon England” whilst waving scarves and banners. Wind the clock back fifty years and The Revival was celebrating England winning the World Cup against Germany.

Whether it’s the people, the cars, the planes or the many stands, there is just so much to see and enjoy. It’s like one big fancy dress party with the majority of people wearing clothes from the 1940’s, 50’s or 60’s. Quite frankly there is no other event like it in the world today.

I have photographed this policeman and his wonderful vintage bicycle before and it was good to see him again. That’s the beauty of this event – you very often bump into the same people and they are always happy to stop and have a chat.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this young lady astride a Harley Davidson, although quite what the ape was doing in the background I’m not sure!

On the other side of the road from the circuit there are yet more stands, a huge marquee which stages the Bonhams Auction of cars and memorabilia, and a fairground.

As always the Glamcab girls were there, always ready to smile and pose for the cameras.

I will be posting a further selection of pictures very soon. In the meantime do click on any of these images to see a larger version.

For anyone interested, all these photgraphs were taken with a Leica M9-P, imported into Lightroom and then converted into monochrome using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Truly inspiring – The Art of Seeing – a short video by Ken Keen FRPS

As photographers we can learn so much from each other. We can be inspired by the work and dedication of those who take pleasure in making photographs of subjects which personally we particularly enjoy. We can also admire anyone who is able to produce the finest images in the face of adversity.

I was therefore delighted to discover the work of Ken Keen a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. Born in 1934 he specialises in making images of medieval churches and cathedrals with a large format camera and printed in historical (or alternative) process: cyanotype-Rex and salt print. A passionate photographer for many decades, what is truly remarkable is that in the year 2000 he lost most of his sight and is registered blind. He is now a member of the Disabled Photographers Society.

For the last 15 years or so, with the help of close friends and fellow photographers, he visits and makes photographs of religious buildings across the UK, some of which I have been to myself for my own Churches Project. In my humble opinion his images are outstanding and I took a great deal of pleasure looking at his website – www.kenkeenandlight fromthedarkeness.com. You can read his Biography here.

The short video, entitled ‘The Art of Seeing’ is just 20 minutes long, and is well worth viewing.

He has published a Blurb Book ‘Light from the Darkness’. I have only looked at the preview pages, but judging by the images on his website I may well be ordering my copy very soon.

Light from the Darkness by Ken Keen FRPS

The Dunes – requests for a mono conversion

A few weeks ago I posted this image of The Dunes at East Head in colour. You can view it here. I had a number of comments, for which I am always grateful. They all had one thing in common – they expressed a desire to see a black and white version. Well here it is and I am pleased with the result, so thanks everyone for the suggestion.

I guess my only disappointment is that it was taken using an iPhone – nothing wrong with camera phones these days but when I came to processing the photograph, I just wish I had been able to work on an 18MB RAW file from my Leica Monochrom. The flexibility, dynamic range and the depth of detail from a full frame file would have been a joy to have at my disposal.

When the forecast is right I shall return with the Leica but I always remember that any photograph is capturing a moment in time which will never be repeated – and that’s why this hobby has such an enduring interest, as no two photographs can ever be the same.

Churches Project no.17 – St Peter’s, Hascombe, Surrey

Regular readers of my blog will know that the vast majority of my work is in monochrome and this particularly applies to my Churches Project. Today though I have to make an exception, so I am including a set of colour images as well as their monochrome twins. The church featured is St Peter’s, Hascombe in Surrey. The exterior is in the style of a 13th Century church and was constructed of bar gate stone in the mid 19th Century to replace a derelict church.

In complete contrast to the relatively plain exterior, the interior of the church is a very rich blend of gilding and painting, particularly on the roof, the screen and the reredos- it is quite extraordinary and not what you might expect to find in a church in a small village in Surrey. Whilst I can appreciate the beauty, for me it is far too ornate…….I personally much prefer a simpler or can I say quieter environment. Nevertheless it has to be admired and appreciated for the skill, the craftsmanship and the time it must have taken to create.

And now for a matching set of monochrome images –

Do click on any of the images to view a larger version which will open in a new window.

Beach Huts – the humble garden shed by the sea.

Beach Huts at Felpham

Beach huts are a common sight in many seaside resorts. They evolved from the wheeled bathing machines used by the Victorians to preserve their modesty. Often brightly coloured they take on various forms, but more often than not, they are quite simply the humble timber garden shed, sited on the seafront, in rows and rows, alongside their almost identical ‘brothers and sisters’. In some resorts they are owned and rented out by the local council; whereas others are privately owned and can command prices which are out of all proportion to their size, type of construction and their amenity. Location, location, location is the key phrase here.

The huts in the above shot are on a greensward adjoining the seafront in Felpham Village; a pretty area just to the east of Bognor Regis on the south coast.

Taken on a very different day, the picture below shows the beach huts on the other side of Bognor Regis at Aldwick.