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I have thousands upon thousands of photographs. Old Kodak prints, Fuji slides, XPan double-frame panoramics, uncountable digital files. Many I like, some I value, most are just ‘meh‘. So now I’ve enrolled in the OCA Photography Foundation. I’m going to learn, structure, focus and practice. No more ‘meh‘. Time to go on a journey. Continue reading First blog post
In this exercise we are asked to make 3 full length portraits at night, with the suggestion we use high ISO, long exposures and flash. As it turned out, an opportunity presented itself to work with a model, Helen, in an industrial ruin location on a very dark, heavily overcast late afternoon in October. In the three full-length shots presented below I have used three … Continue reading 2.9 A Night Portrait
I have never before placed text and photographs together, nor taken photographs based on inspiration from text. I generally don’t even like giving a photograph a title as I’d rather the image speaks for itself and it is up to the viewers to interpret it. I did however enjoy English Literature at school, and when I have not got my face buried in a camera … Continue reading 3.5 Photographs From Text
Back when my photography was almost entirely landscapes, I was always conscious of trying to compose in a way which provided the viewer with a sense of depth and scale by using layers. More recently I’ve been much less concerned with them, looking instead for that elusive ‘decisive moment’. Where there are layers lending depth, it’s by chance rather than planning. This exercise has therefore … Continue reading 2.3 Depth: Foreground, mid-Ground, Background
A few weeks ago, in a state where I was possibly affected by the sun, beer or perhaps both, I set myself a challenge for our upcoming holiday – “This year I’m going to photograph the Broads in the style of Martin Parr. Then I’m going to select, whittle down, edit, arrange and present this trip.” I’ve been struggling to complete 2.2 with a combination … Continue reading 2.2 People & Activity
This one has been a challenge. I’ve looked through the work of Roman Signer, and that of Andy Goldsworthy, and there is so much to love about their art. Signer’s slow burning fuse is fascinating, and Goldsworthy’s land art is truly wonderful. But. I’m looking at records. These are photographs ‘of’ not ‘about’. Yes, the art they depict is ‘about’, but you have to be … Continue reading Picture Analysis – Zelt, Roman Signer
In a week’s time – the 30th – we’re heading off for a week of boating around the Norfolk Broads. It’s pretty much an annual event on a floating gin palace from Richardson’s boatyard. As a result of past trips I have a lot of photographs from the Broads. A lot of landscapes, some of which I think are good. A few wildlife, one or … Continue reading Holiday Resolution
Let’s start by getting something out in the open up front: I don’t like flash. I know it is useful in all sorts of situations, it’s an essential tool of studio and wedding photographers. Used properly and creatively it can transform muddy and mundane to glorious. Maybe it is my lack of learning practice that makes me shy away from using flash, but I genuinely … Continue reading 2.8 Fill Flash
A short time after completing the exercises on ‘Searching’ and ‘Series’, I found myself on Crosby Beach near Liverpool and the site of Anthony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’. Now I’ve always been fascinated by what washes up on beaches, so once I’d felt I’d done as much as I could with Mr Gormley’s figures I turned my camera down and brought back around 50 photographs of … Continue reading 3.2 Series – A Revisit
This exercise encourages us to just take a wander and photograph freely, then review and consider what caught our eye. This particular wander is through the French port city of La Rochelle, on a particularly hot and sunny day, though the town to a bay on the other side and back again. Below are 3 contact sheets showing the 40-odd photographs that caught my eye … Continue reading 3.1 Searching
In this exercise we are asked to produce a series of photographs focused on a specific subject. My chosen subject for this is based on two related on-going projects: plants that are growing on man-made structures and man-made structures and other artifacts being overwhelmed by nature. It’s also a test of something I constantly repeat to myself: Enjoy making the photographs you like and have … Continue reading 3.2 Series
