I have wanted to make an image of the derelict remains of Knowlton Church in Dorset for sometime now. I have seen plenty of images online, many taken at dawn or dusk but this wasn’t what I had in mind.
After a long dry summer the past few days have seen a return of sunshine mixed with some dark clouds and heavy showers. I had the idea of capturing the church ruin bathed in sunlight with passing storm clouds as a backdrop. I even thought a long exposure might add to the drama. The forecast looked promising so I got in my car and set off.
On arrival clear blue skies prevailed. I looked around me and the shower clouds I was hoping for were nowhere in sight. While waiting I wandered around looking for what I thought would be the best angle and composition. An hour or so later and the prospect of the conditions improving or worsening, depending upon your point of view, were dwindling fast. Don’t get me wrong it was a lovely late summer’s afternoon, but there was little drama, no atmosphere and I felt rather let down, somewhat deflated.
I did of course take a few images and the picture above is I think the best of the bunch. Perfectly acceptable but the result just didn’t match with my expectations. Had I gone out with a more open mind I would have returned home grateful that the light and clouds had been so favourable.
It’s one of the pitfalls of landscape photography. Although we can pre-visualize the image we want to make, invariably the weather and light don’t play ball. Far better not to build up your hopes for a particular photograph and simply accept the the conditions as you find them. Make the best use of the prevailing light and weather and simply enjoy the experience of being out with your camera in a glorious location.
In my last post I said that I would make the effort to make some more colour images. This picture doesn’t excite me at all but does serve to illustrate what a stunning location this is.
One day I will return to Knowlton Church and capture the image which I still have in my mind, and in the meantime I shall try and improve my ability to read the weather forecast!
Storm approaching the dunes at East Head, West Sussex
Here on the south coast of England we have experienced a very dry and hot summer. Several months have passed with no rain whatsoever. The ground is bone dry, grass has turned to straw and I fear that some of the plants in our garden will not have survived the drought.
From a photographic point of view summer is never a good time of year for me. The sun is too high in the sky, the contrast is too great and clear blue skies maybe great for a day at the beach but there is no mood and atmosphere to capture. Plus, and being somewhat selfish, there are too many people at the places I wish to photograph.
The Sound of Iona, Scotland
So apart from the occasional shoot, I have spent the last few weeks and months giving more time to reflect and think about my photography. Devising plans for when the weather changes, the days become shorter and the light is more favourable. One area of specific consideration has been whether or not I should make more images in colour.
Autumn woodland, Dorset
Ever since 2012 virtually all my work has been in black and white. You only need to look through past entries or any of my galleries (apart from one) to see that black and white is ostensibly what I do. However I make images for my own pleasure. There are no rules which inhibit me from doing anything I like, and that includes switching to colour if I so wish, even if I naturally default to monochrome.
Lifeguard Station, Boscombe, Dorset
As I haven’t been out with my camera I have been trawling through my back catalogue of thousands of images and selecting a few which I have now processed in colour. Some have been captured this year others have lain idle on the hard drive for many years. I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my time in this way. I have come across many images which I had largely forgotten. Seeing them afresh as well as opening my eyes to colour has been quite liberating.
Newlands Valley, Lake District
There is no question in my mind that monochrome and colour are two very different photographic disciplines. Over time my photographic eye has learnt to see the world in black and white, helped of course by being able to preview the image on the rear screen or in the EVF. Photographs that work in mono do not always make a good colour image and vice versa. Perhaps this goes without saying but it does make me think that a fundamental decision needs to be made before the shutter is released. The decision is one of intent – is the end result going to be in black and white or colour? And how might this choice impact on the composition, exposure and any other factors which could be relevant and improve the final outcome.
Portland Harbour, Dorset
In editing this selection of images I have very quickly come to realise there are a whole new set of processing skills I need to learn and hone to make pleasing colour photographs. Well, images that I am happy with anyway. Of course I understand the fundamentals of colour editing but I need to practice much more and develop a better understanding of the tools which are available to me and which I wouldn’t have used previously to make a black and white picture. I fully recognise the workflow is not the same and I will need to make adjustments accordingly. To be frank I am looking forward to the challenge.
Late afternoon, Fishbourne Meadows, West Sussex
In editing these images I have noticed two things in particular. Firstly my choice of crop or aspect ratio. Originally these were all captured on a full frame or APSC camera with a 3×2 aspect ratio but in many cases I have cropped the image to 16×9 or even 3×1. I don’t think this has anything to do with the fact that they are colour files necessarily, but I really like how this ‘letterbox’ approach changes the overall feel and impact of the image. Fortunately the large sensors offered by most if not all camera manufacturers today provides plenty of latitude when cropping without degrading the image too much.
Sunset at West Wittering, West Sussex
Secondly colour balance or colour temperature has a big affect on the feel of the photograph. Should it be cool or warm? Any noticeable colour cast could of course render the picture unrealistic but there are creative choices to be made. I always shoot in RAW so adjusting the white balance is quite straightforward, although I did find myself revisiting this aspect of the editing process as I wasn’t always happy with my first or even my second attempt!
Charmouth Beach, Dorset
Being creative with colour as opposed to black and white is not the same. Black and white is far more flexible in this respect. The lack of colour means a mono image is instantly an abstraction of what we normally see as we go about our daily lives. If you applied the edits in a mono conversion to the same colour file, the result would probably be horrendous so as I said earlier the two disciplines are very different.
Marker Post, West Wittering, West Sussex
Looking forward it is my intention to make many more images in colour although I don’t think I will ever lose my love for black and white. How could I after so many years? But there is a place for both styles of imagery and as the old saying goes – ‘variety is the spice of life’.
For the past couple of years a large section of my local churchyard has been left to grow wild. Untended, the grasses grow, and will gradually die back, more so in this hot dry summer. They provide a habitat for insects, birds and possibly other wildlife as well. In early autumn the area is cleared and nature’s cycle will continue. Cut back, dormant, only to re-emerge and thrive again next spring.
Churchyards are places of peace and sanctuary which evoke many contrary emotions. They are there for those that have gone before us. The old headstones and crosses mark the lives of the many generations who were once alive and part of village life. In some cases the inscriptions are still visible but these are old stones, so more often than not the words of remembrance and the dates of the dearly departed have been worn away, eroded by the elements. I can only imagine the tales that are buried in the ground beneath my feet.
The other day I dusted off my tripod and gathered together my ND filters, and decided to try and capture how I felt about this place. On the one hand there is stillness. The age-ed gravestones no longer upright but weathered and leaning from the passage of time. Resilient to change, protected and to be respected. The gusting wind and sun would play their part. The grasses waving as the wind ebbed and flowed. Sunlight fleetingly disappearing behind thin cloud only to reappear a few moments later. Essential ingredients which helped me realise the images I had in mind. A mix of life, movement, light and death.
From a photographic point of view I enjoyed being alone for a few hours. Over two sessions I immersed myself in the scene as I discovered new compositions. Moving and adjusting the position of the tripod, swapping lenses and ND filters. Manually focusing and varying the camera’s settings to try and achieve the look I was after. Simply being creative.
I understand that for many people churchyards are sombre and melancholic places. I find it hard not to share these feelings. However there are also feelings of resilience, rebirth, remembrance, respect and ultimately love and hope as we contend with the challenges that are placed before us each and every day.
It’s only been a few weeks since I purchased my Leica Q3 and in that short period of time I have already grown to love this camera. I have become familiar with its controls and settings. I am really enjoying the 28mm field of view and my eye has quickly adapted to see potential compositions using this focal length. The addition of a hand and thumb grip plus a soft release button have improved the handling and it now feels very comfortable to hold and use. The files are simply stunning and the dynamic range of the sensor is unlike anything I have used in the past.
My collection of images of the Dorset countryside near to my home continues to grow. Here are just a few photographs I have made with the Leica Q3. Seeing these images on screen is one step away from making prints, and I am increasingly inspired to do so in the near future.
A few weeks ago I walked along a footpath, a path I had followed many times before. At the junction with another bridleway stood an old signpost. Years of weathering had caused the wood to deform and split. I suspect the post itself was rotten where it emerged from the ground. Layers of lichen and moss had partially covered the names of the nearby villages – Turners Puddle, Throop and Tolpuddle. The fingerpost had character, a patina which would only appear given the passage of time. It complemented the farmland backdrop.
This simple scene spoke to me; a reminder of all the people that had worked on the land and had walked or ridden a horse along the bridleway between these old Dorset settlements. It was more than worthy of a photograph and I am so pleased I did so.
I returned to this same location only yesterday and I was saddened to find the old sign had been removed. It had been replaced with a new post with plastic signage. To my eyes this new sign was bereft of personality. There was no inclusion now of village names. I had the feeling that it was symbolic of the urban environment encroaching on the beauty of the countryside.
I fully accept that the old sign wouldn’t have lasted forever and at some point it would need replacing. However a ‘like for like’ timber sign would in my view have been a more sympathetic choice. If only I had personally witnessed its removal. I think I would have asked the contractor if I could take it home with me and find it a new home in my garden.
This change clearly illustrates and reinforces why I choose to photograph the rural area around me. To record what I see knowing that change is inevitable. It will probably happen very slowly of course and in truth I suspect very little will actually change in my lifetime, but change it will. However given recent Government announcements, which are sure to affect the farming community here in the UK, I feel the pace of change will only accelerate.
A photograph is all about capturing a moment in time, so I need to go out with my camera and document what I see before it’s no longer there.
alan frost photography 