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Posts tagged ‘black and white’

Alone on The Cobb

The Cobb at Lyme Regis in Dorset is an old stone curved pier forming a large harbour. Some 870ft in length there is an appreciable slope to the upper section with a sheer drop on one side into the sea. The lower promenade on the harbour side is better protected from the elements, but far less spectacular. On the horizon are the dramatic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast but I would advise stopping to take in the view. There is a notice informing anyone who wishes to walk along The Cobb not to do so in high winds. It’s easy to see why. Even on a clam day walking along the slope of The Cobb can be a little unnerving. This location was of course made famous in the 1981 film ‘ A French Lieutenant’s Woman’ featuring Meryl Streep.

A popular and much photographed scene, the inclusion of a lone figure walking on The Cobb not only adds human interest but also raises questions in my mind. It’s an image of solitude, coupled with the drama of truly spectacular location. The Cobb’s slope is clearly visible and the sea is clam. What are the thoughts going through the mind of the person in the picture? Is he enjoying an inner calm and peace or are his feelings of a very different nature? Perhaps he is simply enjoying the wonderful view on a beautiful Spring day? Questions but no answers, but hopefully an image which can be appreciated for a variety of different reasons.

Barn roof – just when I thought I had finished.

Barn Roof

Earlier this week I made a point of going out to take some more images for my Churches Project. I was moderately pleased with my afternoon’s work, had packed away all my gear and was making my way back to the car. I had parked in front of an open barn and as I walked from the church towards my car I noticed the afternoon light glinting on the rear of the barn and in particular the long corrugated roof which nearly reached the ground. The rivets all pointed towards a small group of ivy clad trees with countryside beyond, all of which I rather liked.

I couldn’t resist reaching for my camera just one last time. Whether I have a camera with me or not, my eyes are constantly observing what is around me, looking for the light, interesting shapes and compositions. Even when on first impression the subject itself may not be that appealing, (in this case the corrugated roof of an old farm building), the direction of the light and other elements which make up the picture may be enough to warrant getting my camera out of it’s bag. So I took one last shot before heading home and I am glad I did.

Churches Project no.10 – St Mary, North Marden, West Sussex

Nave and chancel of North Marden Church

St Mary’s in North Marden is a tiny Norman country church thought to date from the late 12th Century. Approached through a farmyard the nave and chancel are undivided. The chancel has an unusual semi circular or apsidal end, a feature which is only to be found in five other small english churches. There is very little light inside the church, and first impressions are of a dark and almost mysterious interior. To this day there is no electricity, so when in use the interior is still lit by candles. The church is Grade 1 Listed and can seat up to about 70 people.

The church has a superb Norman south doorway made of Caen stone which was probably shipped from France across the English Channel to Chichester Harbour and then transported by pack horse to the site of the church. It is the same stone that was used to build Chichester Cathedral.

North Marden Porch and Norman doorway.

Standing in the porch and looking through the doorway into the nave with the vestry opposite, I just try to imagine all the characters who have walked into this humble little place of worship in the 900 or so years since the church was built. It’s not possible of course but the thought itself is quite remarkable.

St Mary North Marden

This church is one eight churches which make up the Octagon Parish. A group of churches serving the villages of Stoughton, Racton, Forestside, Stansted, Compton, Esat Marden, Up Marden and of course North Marden. They are all set in beautiful and largely unspoilt downland countryside, which makes these churches so very appealing.

I have already featured two of these churches and the links can be found below. I am sure I will be visiting the other five in due course.

St Michael’s, Up Marden

St Mary’s Stoughton

Protection – Sand dunes at East Head

Protection

I seem to have spent a fair amount of time down at East Head in West Wittering recently. The sand dunes and large areas of beach when combined with ‘big’ skies provide me with so many scenes to photograph. The low light at the end the day is a great time to be there; more so, if a weather front is just passing through. In this image the last rays of sunlight are illuminating the old and rickety dunes fence, one of the last of its type at East Head. There are now more metal posts and wires which are far less attractive from a photographer’s point of view.

These sand fences are put in place to protect the dunes from erosion by reducing wind speed across the sand surface and encourage foredune deposition. They also help to control public access, but for me they quite simply provide some excellent foreground interest in a photograph which is always going to be enhanced by a dramatic sky.

I read a quote by Ansel Adams the other day which read. “Sometimes I do get to places just when God is ready to have somebody click the shutter”. I think this might just have been one of those occassions.

Do click on the image itself to view a larger version.

Out of the shadow – seizing the moment

Out of the shadow

I don’t regard myself as a street photographer but I do think of myself as an opportunist. With only my iPhone to hand, I was out and about and spotted the stark contrast between what I considered to be an interesting wall, with its mixture of windows and drain pipes, and the deep shadow cast by a building on my side of the road. I found it appealing but the missing ingredient was a person walking in front of the partly obscured window. I didn’t have to wait very long before a woman approached the scene, pulling a shopping trolley and with her head well wrapped in a head scarf. iPhone at the ready and the shot was taken.

The image was processed in Silver Efex Pro. I further accentuated the shadow, added some grain, and a border which I very rarely do, but I felt it suited this particular photograph.

An iPhone is a great street camera. Everyone these days seems to have a mobile phone in their hand on an almost permanent basis and if they aren’t looking at the screen, you know it will not be very long before they next do so. In essence they are totally unobtrusive and nobody knows you are taking a photograph with a smartphone because they are so prolific. They are virtually silent in operation and you could just as easily be texting your best friend and not taking a photograph at all.

So whilst for me a phone will never replace my camera, they do allow you to seize the moment when the opportunity presents itself.