Landscape | alan frost photography

Exhibition – my parameters

Although The Image Circle exhibition does not take place until November, preparing a portfolio of images ready for curation at a later date has to begin now. In fact it started some weeks ago when I decided my theme would concentrate on the landscape and environment of Chichester Harbour. Now, whenever I am out walking in the area, my camera is with me. I am very fortunate, as this is an almost daily occurrence, otherwise our dog complains!

Whilst I have never exhibited my work before, I felt it was important to establish some parameters at an early stage, in order to focus my intentions and concentrate the mind. Over the last week or two these guidelines have become well established and are as follows –

All photographs will be taken in the clearly defined area of Chichester Harbour.
All the images will be taken using just one camera with one prime lens – the Leica M Monochrom and 50mm f1.4 Summilux lens.
I envisage the vast majority will be hand held, as this is my preferred way of working, although I will not rule out using a tripod in certain situations.
I doubt that I will be using filters, although shooting wide open in bright conditions, it is obligatory to use a 3 stop neutral density filter to manage the light reaching the sensor and exposing correctly.
All the images made will be cropped to square format and be in black white. (I have no choice, it’s a black and white only camera!). I have already established a workflow for processing as I need to present a coherent set of printed images.
I have yet to make a final decision but they will almost certainly be toned in Lightroom.
The photographs will be printed on Canson Platine Fibre Rag. A 310 GSM archival paper. Without question it’s my favourite paper for this type of work.
The size of print, mounting and framing considerations are still in the melting pot but I will write about this in a later post, once my thoughts have come together.

So what are my intentions? Chichester Harbour is a beautiful and intriguing place, with a great deal of variety for image making. By walking the many footpaths that cover the area, a more intimate knowledge of the landscape becomes possible. I see the same locations at different times of the day; the weather and the light is constantly changing and in the months ahead Winter will turn to Spring, followed by Summer and Autumn, all of which will give me plenty of opportunity to capture the area as I see it. It will be my personal view of Chichester Harbour; an intimate portrait of a place I know well but will get to know even better as I explore locations which are less familiar.

The images which form part of this post were all taken very recently in and around one specific location – a small pond on the western side of Fishbourne Creek. One or more may or may not be included in the exhibition, but these and the many others I have made in recent weeks will start to make up a body of work from which a final selection can be made. Curation is a topic in its own right and I will doubtless be writing about this in the future.

To see the work of my fellow exhibitors, do visit and follow our website –

www.theimagecircle.com

Frost covered grasses

Frost covered grasses

I often walk past this particular area and have never given it a second look, well certainly not with the intention of taking a photograph. However a change in weather when coupled with the right light, and a dull scene can be transformed.

This frame was taken last week, when a harsh frost covered the landscape and the low angle of the early morning sun made the grasses sparkle.

Do click on the image to view a larger and more detailed version.

Frosty morning looking towards Bosham

Although I am often awake early, I have to profess that getting up and heading out with the specific intention of taking photographs is not one of my strong points. Probably because up until recently I would either have to get ready and go to work or walk the dog, neither of which are conducive to taking pictures. Now my circumstances have changed; I took early retirement in April, there are more opportunities to venture out, particularly at this time of year when it doesn’t get light until nearly 8 o’clock.

Earlier this week the weather forecast predicted cold nights and a harsh frost. That was enough to persuade me to put on some warm clothes and enjoy a crisp cold morning with my camera.

This is just one of a number of images from that outing. A view towards Bosham Church from the foopath at Chidham. The sun had just risen and it wouldn’t be long before the heat of the sun would melt the frost. After about an hour in glorious surroundings it was time to return home, but it did convince me that I need to get up and get out with my camera more often!

At the end of the day

At the end of the day

There is something rather magical about the light at the end of the day. It is of course often referred to as the ‘Golden Hour’. It can be a lovely mix of warm tones in the sky, contrasting with the cool tones in the landscape.

Instinctively you almost know this photograph was taken at a time of year when Autumn merges into Winter. Most of the leaves have fallen to the ground. It has been a cold, clear day; with little or no wind and you begin to wonder what tomorrow has in store.

Just before the dark

Just before dark

I always welcome this time of year. Yes I know the clocks have gone back, so it’s dark well before you sit down for your evening meal. But the colder and shorter days bring great skies and once the leaves have fallen, the true splendour and skeletal shapes of a line of trees can be really be appreciated.

Do click on the image to enjoy a larger version.