thoughts | alan frost photography

Posts from the ‘thoughts’ category

Roses by the window – inspired by Josef Sudek

Recently I came across an image I had taken back in 2014 of a bunch of roses in a vase. They were on a window sill with rain drops on the window glass. I remember taking the shot with a large aperture opening to give me a narrow depth of field. Only one rose is truly in focus, so the overall effect is quite soft, but this works for me.

When making this image I was reminded and influenced by the work by Josef Sudek. I particularly enjoy and admire his photography and his creative use of light in an image. A Czech photographer, he was born in 1896 and spent most of his life in Prague. He died in 1976. A year or so ago I was given a book of his work called ‘ Josef Sudek – Legacy of a Deeper Vision’. A beautifully produced book with many fine plates of his photography. (See a picture of the front cover below).

I was first drawn to his work when I saw his pictures of St Vitus Cathedral in Prague and later I enjoyed a series of photographs taken from the inside his studio which he called ‘The Window of my Atelier’. Condensation on the inside of the window or rain drops on the outside would often be a feature of this work. He would also make images of simple objects he had in his studio, an empty glass, an egg or a small vase of flowers. They were sometimes placed on a window sill and making the most of the light he would produce some very effective and almost ‘poetic’ photographs. He unquestionably made the best use of his immediate surroundings.

I have included a pictures of a couple of plates from the book, by way of examples of his work.

I seem to be spending a fair amount of time at the moment considering a variety of projects which I think could prove interesting. I already have my Churches Project underway and this will continue, but there are a number of others that could well occupy my time in the months ahead. As part of this period of consideration and planning, I like to study the work of other artists and photographers. This can be beneficial in a number of ways. It can certainly inspire, influence and be thought provoking; all of which can only aid creativity and help define the path ahead.

From all of this it would appear my approach to photography is going through a contemplative stage. I believe it’s all part of an ongoing process which aids the development of your own style and vision. What might be a good idea today, is often challenged by a counter thought the next – and so the process unfolds until the original concept is either scrapped or possibly pursued to a conclusion. With nothing decided it can be a little frustrating at times, particularly when the outlook is less than clear, but ultimately I think the results of this planning stage will prove rewarding.

You can see more of Sudek’s photographs by clicking on this link to my Pinterest board of his work

My new camera – an iPhone 6S – a useful photographer’s sketchbook

Most photographers will be familiar with the saying – ‘The best camera is the one you have with you’. I can’t disagree with this adage but just how good are smartphones as a true photographic tool? Let me say rather swiftly that this is not intended to be a review of my recent upgrade from the iPhone5 to the iPhone 6S, but merely a selection of images and a few opinions of my own about the value of taking images with a mobile phone. I hope you will find my thoughts interesting.

The iPhone 6S now boasts a 12mp sensor, so it’s no wonder that the use of smartphones have stolen a huge number of sales from the compact camera market in recent years. (Click on this link to a page on Flickr which only confirms what most of us already know about the use of camera-phones). However I am all too aware that more megapixels doesn’t necessarily equal better quality pictures. The biggest factor is always going to be the person taking the shot, not the equipment being used, but that’s a topic for another day!

The four images in this post were all taken in the past few weeks whilst out and about walking our dog. I have never found it easy to multi task and keep one eye on the subject being photographed and the other eye on the dog, just in case he gets bored and runs off out of sight. So a quick shot is really all the time I have. The pictures have been imported into Lightroom from the iPhone 6S and then converted to black and white. Some limited post processing has been used to enhance each image if only to prove to myself what is possible with the jpeg files.

So what are my thoughts? Well the results are pretty remarkable all things considered. The iPhone 6S has coped well with some high contrast conditions and to a certain extent the files are flexible in post processing. There isn’t much detail in the shadows but it’s unquestionably a better performer than the iPhone 5. They are certainly good enough for posting on the web which is where the vast majority of images now end up. What I would say is that the quality deteriorates significantly when zooming in, so it’s arguably better to take a ‘full size’ image and then crop in post. Would I want to make an A4 or even an A3 size print? – I haven’t tried, it would be an interesting exercise but I doubt I would be happy with quality, however I might be pleasantly surprised.

I enjoy taking pictures on my phone but for now it will never replace any of the cameras I take so much pleasure in using. For me the camera-phone is the equivalent of an artist’s sketchbook. Something which is very portable and convenient to have with me at all times. Something I can use to make a visual record of a particular location. Something to inspire me and to think about when considering a return visit. A photographer’s sketchbook – most definitely yes, and a very good one at that. A replacement for my cameras with interchangeable lenses and the ability to shoot in RAW – no way, but still worth having with me at all times – if only to make the odd phone call!

‘Break through’ – (the 200th blog entry)

Break through

I started this photographic blog in June 2012 and whilst I am not a prolific blogger this just happens to be my 200th post. I recognise this is a very small number compared to many other users of WordPress but for me it’s quite an achievement. Over three years ago I never thought that I would still be updating this site five or six times a month. This partly demonstrates how much I enjoy sharing my images and my thoughts, but even more importantly it is testimony to how much pleasure I derive from making images and the art of photography.

When you reach any milestone, however small or large, it’s an opportunity to reflect and consider what lies ahead.

In the past three years I have become more critical of my own work and tried to be more discerning about what I do and don’t share on this blog. This is certainly true of what I upload to Flickr. I now only upload a handful of images a month, whereas previously almost anything and everything would be shared with the ‘online world’ – if only to increase the number of views and favourites! Don’t get me wrong I welcome all feedback but the photographs I make are first and foremost for me; they are my vision of the world in which I live. If they give pleasure to others then that’s a bonus for me, and quite naturally I hope they do.

I am fairly confident that in the future my photography will be more ‘project based’. I believe this will be a positive step leading to more considered and specialist work, with the aim of achieving a clear objective or outcome. I have a number of ideas, and these will evolve given time. I also recognise that my photographic skills and processing techniques can be improved. After all it’s never too late to acquire more knowledge about a particular craft or skill.

And maybe, just maybe, a photographic ‘break though’ lies ahead – who knows what that might be? One thing’s for sure, only time will tell.

If you are a regular reader of my ‘blog’ can I just thank you for taking the time to look and read what I have to say.

And finally…… here’s to the next century of blog entries!

“You see, but you do not observe ” – a quote from Sherlock Holmes

I rather like this quote by Sherlock Holmes taken from the novel – ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’. It is just as relevant to Holmes as he tries to decipher the clues to a crime, as it is to a photographer trying to decide what to photograph and why.

We so often arrive at a destination and in haste the camera comes out of the bag, a lens is chosen and a moment later the shutter has been released and we move on to the next shot. Or at least that’s what I am inclined to do, particularly when time is limited. Have I just seen and not observed? If I gave myself more time and slowed the whole process down, would I start to observe and not just see. There is an important difference. Would it just be better to leave the camera in the bag and resist the temptation to take the first photograph until your eyes have truly observed what it is your mind wants to capture?

Do you appreciate something more if it has been observed, experienced and enjoyed as opposed to just seen and captured?

This question brings me rather nicely onto something I heard on Radio Four earlier this month. As I was getting myself ready for work I listened to ‘Thought for the Day’ by The Rev. Dr. Sam Wells.

In the broadcast he recites the story of being in The Alps waiting for the cyclists in the Tour de France to pass him by. He deliberated as to whether or not to take a photograph on his smartphone and capture the moment as they raced by, or simply watch as they came towards him, cycle past, then away into the distance and out of sight. He chose to take the photograph but he admits he missed the race. He goes on to say that Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Hamlet at The Barbican in London and coincidentally the same actor also plays Sherlock Holmes in the recent BBC TV series. In Hamlet his adoring fans are trying to capture him on their smartphones, but are they missing the play, the superb acting and the wonderful words of Shakespeare?

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock. Photograph: Robert Viglasky/PA

(I urge you to listen to the short broadcast – it lasts under three minutes and in my view, is well worth hearing.)

Thought for the Day on Radio 4 by Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, the Vicar of St Martin in the Fields. First broadcast on 12th August 2015.

As a photographer I often wonder if I am missing the experience of just being in a certain location, enjoying the surroundings in which I find myself, as opposed to concentrating on the point of focus, composition and exposure settings. Or in other words ‘living the moment’.

Perhaps by keeping the camera switched off for a little longer, not only will we enjoy the experience even more but it will also teach us to observe and not just see. It may enhance our lives and through closer observation and appreciation of the subject, improve our photography as well.

Thanks as always for looking, reading and perhaps listening as well.

Do click on the image to view a larger version.

The tale of the missing watering can!

My wife and I do not profess to be gardeners, although we have spent the summer trying to make our back garden less of a wilderness of weeds and more one of pots, plants and climbers – in other words a place not to be ashamed of but to enjoy.

Having bought a few new plants we of course needed to keep them well watered. Our old watering can was required but unfortunately we could not find the rose which is normally attached to the stem of the can. Without the rose, the water comes out at a furious rate drowning the new plant and rendering the watering can a rather poor piece of gardening equipment.

We decided to see if we could buy a new metal rose and not a plastic one, which might work perfectly well but to our eyes would look rather odd. We even went so far as to take the can to a number of garden centres to ensure that we bought a rose which would fit. We couldn’t find a metal rose anywhere, so we resigned ourselves to buy a new plastic watering can. Not great but it did the job and was quite cheap.

A week or so later we were back in the garden and my wife found the old metal rose behind a small pile of bricks. Frustrated and delighted to have found it we went looking for the old watering can. We hunted around the garden, which isn’t very big, in the garage and the shed. It was nowhere to be found. We could be forgiven for losing the rose but losing a watering can, well that’s not quite so easy! We soon came to the conclusion that we must have left it at one of the garden centres when we were searching for a replacement rose. How embarrassing! However that didn’t stop my tenacious wife ringing the places we had been just in case someone had stumbled upon our missing watering can. No such luck but it was worth a try.

This weekend we went shopping for a few more plants and as we walked around we had half an eye out for our watering can. No such luck, but before we left I said to my wife, lets just take a look at the watering can section inside the garden centre. It had been moved to a new area but undeterred we found it. Much to our surprise, there on one of the shelves was our old metal watering can! Unlike any of the others for sale, it certainly didn’t look new (because it wasn’t), it had no price tag, but along with all the other cans it had been diligently moved by if not one, then possibly by two or more members of staff to a new display.

Much to our delight we picked it up and having paid for our plants and a few more pots at the checkout, we returned home and reunited the rose and the watering can.

It has a valued purpose in life; looks so much better than the plastic version, and thanks to this little tale, now has a character all of its own.

To see the watering can in all its glory do click on the image to view a larger version which will open in an new window.