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Posts tagged ‘black and white photography’

More people at the Goodwood Revival

A couple of days ago I posted an entry with the first selection of people shots taken last weekend at the Goodwood Revival. You can read that post by clicking here.

This second set includes another eight images which I hope you will enjoy. They all try and capture something of the party atmosphere which descends upon Goodwood Motor Circuit every September.

The girls from St Trinian’s School were very much in evidence this year. Originally a cartoon strip created by Ronald Searle in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, he wrote a number of books and in the 1950’s some films were made which featured Alastair Sim (in drag) cast as the headmistress. Great fun.

A more serious moment as two ‘cleaning ladies’ listen to The Earl of March making a presentation to David Brabham the youngest son of the late great Sir Jack Brabham. A picture of the presentation can be seen below.

All over the motor circuit, stalls and shops authentically replicate the feel and times of the post war era. This shot below of ‘The Old Bicycle Company’ was typical of what can be seen.

Ladies don’t often wear hats these days, so there is always the concern as to whether or not it’s still in place and hasn’t shifted in the breeze.

Another ‘underground’ shot, this time of a young lady framed by two film posters – ‘North by Northwest’ by Alfred Hitchcock and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ starring the one and only Elvis Presley.

An England football fan tries to take my photograph with her old camera, while I try and take a picture of her and her friend, with mine. Somehow I think she forgot to load any film but you never can be sure!

I have written about the Goodwood Revival on previous occasions and there are links below if you are interested.

2012

The Silver Arrows at the Goodwood Revival Meeting

The Characters of the Goodwood Revival Meeting

Goodwood Revival Meeting – the last entry

2014

Goodwood Revival – the cars and the people

2016

People at the Goodwood Revival

There is also a Gallery page featuring the Goodwood Revival, and you can see that page by clicking here.

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

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.

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.

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.

Aldwick beach huts

At West Wittering, again in West Sussex, these huts enjoy a wonderful location.

The shadows of huts at Wittering

……and perhaps my favourite beach huts are at Wells Next The Sea, on the North Norfolk coast.

Wells Next The Sea

Main Exit – dissecting the visual components of a photograph

Main Exit

I often ask myself the question – ‘Why does a photograph interest me and hold my attention for more than a few nano seconds? What are the various components of the image that make it visually appealing to me and maybe to others?’

In answer to these questions I thought I would try and dissect the key elements of this photograph which I have called – Main Exit. Do click on the image to view a larger version as this will help you see all the detail in the picture.

To begin, the image is monochrome; obvious I know, but a colour image of the same picture simply wouldn’t be as interesting. This shot is all about tone, texture, contrast and the overall composition. Colour would be a distraction. There is though a subtle tone which has been applied in post processing, which may not be immediately apparent.

The main focal point is the man in the top right hand corner walking into the building. We can’t see all of his body or his head, but we do see a reflection of his pale jacket and he stands out against the dark background. White on black will always draw the eye. He is framed within a dark square which ties in well with the square crop of the image itself. It’s virtually a picture within a picture.

A square crop doesn’t always work but in this example I think it enhances the overall composition. There is a strong diagonal lead in line from the bottom left hand corner which takes your eye to the main subject of the picture. There are paler lines in the ground which also lead the eye. These are in contrast to the vertical lines of the modern windows. The ground also slopes upwards, so that the metal base of the building narrows to a point where it meets the man. This aids perspective and adds to the sense of depth.

Reflections always provide visual interest because they distort reality. The older buildings are all askew, there is half a car and half a waste bin. Behind the glass there is a person sitting down which begs the question as to what’s inside and the purpose of the building itself.

Top right there is a sign which says ‘Main Exit’ but the arrow points in the opposite direction to the man entering the building – has he gone through the wrong door?

As well as being a contrasty image there is also the visual contrast of the new and old buildings, the young person behind the window and the older person walking through the door. The contrast in texture between the ground and the mirror like surface of the windows.

Lastly a border has been added to provide a frame round the image.

For me it makes a visually appealing image, as the sum of all the component parts make for an intriguing story, complete with different textures and tones, all held together by strong compositional and geometric elements as well.

I have found this exercise beneficial and I hope you have enjoyed my ‘dissection’ of a photograph interesting. Arguably the approach could work just as well on images that you don’t like, as well as the ones that do. It’s worth a try.