I don’t think I have ever done this before but I thought I would walk you through my thoughts and the creative process in the making of this monochrome image of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. I hope you will find it interesting.
How often do you arrive at a destination only to find that the image you had in mind before leaving home isn’t possible when you arrive on site? This may be down to the weather which affects the light and mood of the shot. People or vehicles in the way of the ideal view or possibly other factors which your research had not revealed beforehand.
Earlier this summer the restoration of this very fine windmill finally saw the replacement of the sails. For a number of years it had looked naked without them so when I heard the windmill had been returned to its former glory it was time to revisit this lovely location. The mill is perched on a hill to the East of Chichester in West Sussex. It overlooks the glorious countryside of the South Downs as well as having distant views of the coastline as far as the Isle of Wight.
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Chesil Cove is the most southerly section of Chesil Beach. It lies at the extreme eastern end of the beach by the village of Chiswell on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Chesil Beach forms part of the Jurassic Coast and is the largest tombolo in the UK. A remarkable natural phenomena being some 18 miles long and estimated to be made up of 180 billion pebbles. The largest pebbles, roughly the size of a fist, are to be found at Chesil Cove. The further west you go the smaller they become until they reach pea-size at Bridport.
I took a walk around Chesil Cove and I was attracted to the beach huts perched on the rising land about the cove itself. Nestled amongst boulders and below now redundant quarries, the huts are rather ramshackle. Undeniably they enjoy a wonderful view looking west along the coast and by virtue of their position are probably quite expensive to buy.
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Photography is very often a solitary pursuit and when outdoors in a beautiful landscape I find it is one of contemplation as well. Time passes swiftly as I immerse myself in the surroundings with just the occasional person walking past who may or may not say hello. That’s fine by me. I don’t wish to sound unsociable but nor do I want my concentration broken.
This weekend I decided to slow things right down and do some long exposure captures. It’s not an approach I have taken before for one principal reason. I have always thought myself to be a spontaneous, albeit considered photographer, who enjoys hand held compositions. The flexibility of being able to move a camera quickly from one position to another is in stark contrast to the tedium of carrying and using a tripod. However long exposures and tripods go hand hand in hand assuming of course you want the static element in the frame to be sharp. If you enjoy ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) then a tripod is no longer a requirement.
Photographers are drawn to many things. Decay in its various forms is a favourite, churchyards can be another. Without question though we are always drawn by the light, so when you combine old gravestones and shafts of early morning light, a certain fascination starts to develop in the photographer’s mind and it’s very hard to resist taking a few frames.
This set of three images were all captured In the churchyard which surrounds St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire in Wales.
After a hearty breakfast in preparation for the day ahead, the early morning winter light was illuminating the headstones of the dearly departed and long shadows were being cast across the ground. Far from my usual style I used a ‘cool tone’ which you may or may not like but I think it suits the subject matter rather well. Do please comment and let me know what you think.
alan frost photography 