black and white photography | alan frost photography

Photographer and subject drawn to the light ….. The story behind the picture recalls a quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

I have said this before, but much can be learned by studying the images of famous photographers whose work you admire. Similarly their writings can also encourage and inspire. I particularly enjoy reading quotations by some of my favourite photographers – Ansel Adams, Minor White and Henri Cartier-Bresson to name just three. I wholeheartedly recommend having a shelf full of photography books to revisit from time to time, browse at leisure and enjoy.

I took this image in Wells Cathedral in Somerset on Boxing Day, just a few days ago. Its capture reminded me of a quote by Cartier-Bresson that I recalled reading in the past. I couldn’t remember the exact words, only the sentiment. It didn’t take me long to find the quote and this is what he wrote:-

“Sometimes it happens that you stall, delay, wait for something to happen. Sometimes you have the feeling that here are all the makings of a picture – except for just one thing that seems to be missing. But what one thing? Perhaps someone suddenly walks into your range of view. You follow his progress through the viewfinder. You wait and wait, and then finally you press the button – and you depart with the feeling (though you don’t know why) that you’ve really got something.”

Let me now explain the story that lies behind this image. I hope you will find it interesting. I should begin by saying that Wells Cathedral is not only a place I have visited and photographed previously, but one which never ceases to inspire me to make images. I always find that I am drawn to how the light behaves; it’s almost as if it’s playing a magical tune.

As I wandered around I noticed how a low narrow shaft of light illuminated the stone floor and the base of a large pillar at the end a row of seats. The light was coming and going but I crouched down and adjusted my position to compose the image. I peered into the screen on the back of my camera and I didn’t have to wait very long before the brightest light returned to the scene.

Just as I was about to press the shutter, a lady walked into my field of view and sat down in the chair next to the pillar. A little frustrated I stood up, but then I guess intuition took over. I crouched down again, quickly recomposed and took the shot. Just the one release as I didn’t want to attract her attention and appear to be invading her privacy. It was only later that I could see that she had her head back and eyes closed!

I looked at the screen to review what I had captured. The camera’s exposure was set to protect the highlights, so much of the image was very dark and underexposed. I would have to wait until the image was downloaded to see whether or not I had a ‘keeper’. Something inside me made me feel rather excited to find out.

There is no question that initially I had been drawn to the scene by the light. Arguably the picture lacked a true focal point and I was aware that the modern chairs were rather out of keeping with the architecture. Nevertheless I felt it was a scene worth capturing. In truth though there was something missing, and that something walked into the viewfinder at precisely the right moment. I believe that she too had been drawn to the light. It was the Christmas season so quite possibly a light of a more spiritual nature.

Perhaps you can now understand why I recalled the quote by Cartier-Bresson…… it was almost an exact match for the image I made and my experience in doing so.

For previous posts on Wells Cathedral please click on the links below:

A quote by St. Francis of Assisi reminded me of Wells Cathedral.

A Monochrome Masterclass and a visit to Wells

Revisiting the majestic Wells Cathedral ….. to capture some details

The Chapter House – making amends for a missed opportunity

Capturing the light ….. nothing more, nothing less

It’s quite rare that I only include a single image in a post.

My photographs are often defined by location or subject.

In this particular case these points are of no interest to me.

This image is all about the light and it’s polar opposite – the dark.

When I saw how the low penetrating sunlight pierced through the grasses and lit the paling fence, I just knew it was a photograph crying out to be made ….. so I did.

Nothing more and nothing less ….. just capturing the light ….. in black and white.

Driving through time at the Haynes Motor Museum

When photographing any subject it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of framing the picture to capture the whole thing. Nothing is omitted and a ‘bumper to bumper’ picture of a car can in truth be nothing more than a record shot. From a purely visual point of view the composition ends up being far too busy. Add a distracting background can only add to the confusion. This is particularly true in a museum where the four wheeled exhibits are displayed in close proximity to one another. There is little or no separation and the resultant photograph is almost invariably a disappointment. In a phrase it lacks viewer engagement.

Abstraction and knowing what to leave out, can I believe make for a much more interesting and pleasing image.

I recently made a second visit to the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset, England. My photographic intentions were very clear.

I set out with the specific aim of making photographs which told a story and would in my view capture the essence of both the place and the wide range of cars on display. I wanted to make positive use of the artificial lighting. To work with what could be distracting sources of light and reflections. To embrace out of focus areas, to enhance the image, and adding a further layer of interest whenever possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed combining two of my passions in life – motor cars and photography. There are a huge variety of cars at the museum spanning all eras. With my camera and a selection of lenses I experimented with various settings in the hope of making some interesting black and white compositions.

You can be the judge of whether or not my approach was successful.

The Isles of Mull and Iona – Part Three ….. It’s bath time!

By way of something different I couldn’t help but notice the number of old baths dumped on land or outside a property. I guess some are repurposed, cattle troughs for example, but there is probably another explanation. From Fionnphort at the western tip of the Ross of Mull it’s a four hour round trip to the nearest recycling centre just outside the town of Tobermory in the north east corner of the isle!

Here are links to Parts One and Two in this series.

The Isles of Iona and Mull – Part One ….. Iona Abbey

The Isles of Mull and Iona – Part two ….. Capturing the spirit of place

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

There are so many facets to these isles, to the point that trying to capture the spirit of the place with just a handful of images can’t possibly do it justice.

My wife and I have visited the Scottish Isles and in particular the Isle of Mull for over thirty years. However living on the South coast of England and travelling by car, means a minimum of two days on motorways, other stretches of tarmac and ferry crossings to reach our final destination. We take pleasure in the journey but we would probably visit more often if it wasn’t so far away. However being the distance it is does make it that much more special.

Admittedly accessibility is arguably the same for many people which does help to keep the number of visitors down. As a consequence places like Mull and Iona remain wild, beautiful and peaceful in equal measure.

In Part One of this short series I featured Iona Abbey. In this entry I will share a series of images captured during our week long stay back in the Spring. Apart from location they have little else in common but I hope they help to convey why and how much we love coming to this part of the world.