monochrome | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘monochrome’

Just a tree or a natural living sculpture?

We all know that trees come in all shapes and sizes. Some are grouped together to form a coppice, forest or wood, but it’s when they stand alone that their true beauty and magnificence can be really appreciated.

In winter when the tree is stripped of its leaves, the many years of growth can be witnessed, as each branch appears to intertwine with its neighbour, yet achieving an overall symmetry of shape and form. Is it any wonder that as photographers we are drawn to these rather special natural living sculptures in the landscape around us?

This shot was taken in the Brecon Beacons of Wales earlier this year.

The old A5 – Nant Ffrancon valley in Snowdonia

The road from the western end of Llyn Ogwen to Bethesda in Snowdonia passes though the deeply glaciated valley of Nant Ffrancon. Now a typical ‘A’ road the original road featured in this post is a single track road with just a few passing places. It is rarely used so parking is not really a problem. You just stop in the middle of the road and hope that no vehicles come along while you jump out of the car and take a few photographs.

The road twists and turns with a variety of fences defining field boundaries. Wire and post fencing, stone walls, but perhaps most interesting of all are the slate fences, nestling in the grasses which lean from left to right and undulate in harmony with the lie of the land.

It’s a fascinating area to explore and really does feel like you are stepping back in time. There are very few buildings along this stretch of road. The ones that are here are isolated and when I visited this part of Snowdonia at the end of October the weather was favourable. I tried to imagine what it might be like in the depths of winter, with rain or snow being swept through the valley by a cold and strong wind. Pretty bleak I thought to myself.

The first two images below are taken from the existing A5, looking down into the valley. The line of the old road can be seen in the top right of the frame of the first shot.

Nant Ffrancon valley

Wire and stone

Valley road

Valley farmhouse

Tree of light

Slate fence

Old road

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

Early morning in Snowdonia – with or without a tripod?

Looking towards the Snowdon Horseshoe from Llynnau Mymbyr, near Plas y Brenin

This is one of those iconic photographic locations where many tripods have stood, with cameras perched and the photographer waiting for the right light before releasing the shutter. Checking and rechecking the composition on the back of the camera, moving the tripod a little to the right or to the left, then raising or lowering the height of the legs until all the important elements of the picture fall into place. With many ‘JCBs’ or ‘Joe Cornish Boulders’ to fill the foreground the permutations are almost limitless.

It may well be a popular location, but as a first time visitor to Snowdonia it had to be taken. However my set up is rather different to the one described above. Put simply I prefer not to use a tripod. I have observed many photographers using this piece of equipment which is considered by many to be essential to landscape photography. It’s often extended to eye level so that they can stand comfortably. Nothing wrong with that but might a lower viewpoint be more interesting? I like to move around with the camera in my hand, spontaneously reacting to what I see through the viewfinder. No live view for me on the back of my Leica Monochrom. I enjoy this freedom of movement, working a location, without a heavy tripod and its head to inhibit me. I can easily crouch or even lie down on the ground to get the picture I want.

I know some will say a tripod slows you down, makes you stop and think about what you are doing, but this just isn’t my style. I like to change the composition of a shot by moving my body around, whilst adjusting the position of my feet and hands, until I see the picture that works for me. Perhaps I am lazy or just too impatient to take the shot and move on, but I can cover a lot more ground without a tripod. If you use one on a regular basis, can I suggest you leave it in the boot of your car one day and see what a difference it makes – you may find it quite liberating – I know I do!

Creative use of depth of field in Snowdonia

Sunlit fern

It was not until the summer of last year that I finally decided to go full frame, and purchased a second hand Leica Monochrom. I had previously used APS-C (Nikon) and Micro 4/3rds (Olympus) cameras. One of the principal reasons for my decision was the potential to use minimal depth of field more creatively in my work. The combination of a full frame (35mm) sensor, coupled with a large aperture, has given me photographic opportunities which were simply not possible before.

However just blurring the background doesn’t necessarily giving a pleasing result. The out of focus areas are still important to the overall appearance of the image. Blurred shapes, tones and arrears of light of shade still influence how the image is viewed, even though the eye may initially be drawn to the main subject of the picture which is in sharp focus.

The main photograph I have included in this entry is I think a good example of what I am trying to say. Taken on my recent trip to Snowdonia, the bright early morning sun was shining on small area of bracken in a wooded glade, whilst a path in the middle ground weaved its way down to the waters edge of Llyn Dinas. I tried to visualise how the background elements of the image would be rendered when out of focus and whether or not the shapes of the trees would enhance the overall composition. You can of course try and visualise what the image might look like if everything had been in focus. I didn’t take a shot with a small aperture opening so I cannot make this comparison. My feeling is that there would be too much going on. The foreground and background would be fighting for attention. By using a narrow depth of field I have been able to isolate the sunlit fern which is the principle point of interest. The blurred background informs the viewer about the setting, complimenting the main subject and enhancing the overall appearance, but in my opinion it is no longer a distraction.

Here is another example – This image was taken in the woods near Capel Curig.

Autumn saplings

I am not saying there isn’t a place for landscape images which are very sharp from front to back. I take a good many myself, but increasingly I prefer to shoot wide open (50mm at f1.4) and by doing so I add another dimension to the composition, which until last year was not possible.

Click on either image to view a larger version which will open in a new window. By doing so I think you will appreciate the photograph just that little bit more.

Lake District – A new gallery page

In February 2013 I stayed in The Lake District for a few days in the company of Paul Gallagher, a very well renowned black and white UK photographer. I spent three days in the field, followed by a fourth day in his studio learning post processing and printing techniques.

We were fortunate with the weather given the time of year. It was cold but dry and there were some snow capped mountains, not to mention of course the beautiful lakes themselves.

I have just added a new gallery of Lake District images to this website. In this entry there are a few photographs which were taken on this trip but I hope you will click on the link below to view the full gallery.

Lake District Gallery Page.