More work on Summer images

I have continued to work on my Seasons Collection and on looking for images which I can repeat in each of the seasons to complete Project 15. Here are a few recent images.

Five Arch Bridge, Virginia Water Berkshire UK

The Manger, White Horse Hill Berkshire Downs UK

The Manger, White Horse Hill Berkshire Downs UK

Near Lambourn, Berkshire UK

Landscape Photography Influences - Fay Godwin

At first sight I was not impressed with the work of Fay Godwin. It appeared very understated and frankly dull. The fact that she concentrated on the British countryside and worked largely in black and white, contributed to this impression.  I decided to get hold of her best known books and give some more time to understanding her work. This proved that first impressions are not always the right ones. I have come to admire her work greatly.

Her seminal work Land is a collection of photographs from her first ten years work as a landscape photographer. It is a celebration of the British countryside. Her style is a documentary one, but there is a mystical quality to her work also. Very few of her photographs depict the cliche view of the British countryside with puffy white clouds and a sunny aspect. Rather she has most often captured the landscape in more dramatic circumstances with foreboding clouds and dramatic light. She is not prone to using tricks to accentuate her images.... they are presented in a documentary way. Many of her images are in square format - she frequently used a medium format camera. This lends a graphic quality to her work, which is accentuated by her trully excellent compositional skills.

In Our Forbidden Land, her use of landscape photography in a documentary manner is most highly developed. The work depicts man's influence on the landscape - generally man's adverse influence. Large roads cut into beautiful mountains, unattractive buildings and telegraph posts obscure the views, fences block the way, and forestry work despoils the landscape. The quality of the photography is of the same high standard but the message is not a celebration of the landscape, more a condemnation of man's abuse of it. Godwin was a long time member and President of the Ramblers Association and was active in the contemporary campaigns to keep the countryside open. Our Forbidden Land makes a strong case for a more sensitive approach to the landscape on behalf of the landowners - it is a powerful work.

I have learned quite a bit from my brief look at Fay Godwin. First it is clear that there is beauty all around us, you just have to open your eyes to see it. Second, timing is important - dramatic climatic conditions make for dramatic images. Third and perhaps most importantly, landscape photography is not just about pretty images, it can also be a powerful documentary force for change.

Here are a few of Fay Godwin's images:

Assignment 2: one acre

I have just completed the second assignment. The challenge was to capture 12 landscape images within a location limited to a single acre. I chose an area of Burnham Beeches near my home for this. I found the assignment both challenging and instructive. Within a confined area of Burnham Beeches the scenery is not very varied. Neither in fact is the light as much of it is under a canopy of trees. I had to work hard to create variety in my images. I was not as happy with this group of photographs as I was for assignment one. We shall wait and see what my tutor makes of it all. Here are my images:

Shortlisted for Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010

I am pleased to say that one of my images has made it to the second round of the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010 competition. This is very pleasing but I am sure it will be difficult to progress to the final stage, which would mean I would make it into the book and exhibition. Keeping my fingers crossed! After my brief 'holiday' on the streets with my Leica I am now knuckling down to completing the assignment two for the OCA Landscape course. I also need to capture a few more images for Projects 14 and 15.

Here is the successful LPOY2010 image:

Durdle Cove, Jurassic Coast Dorset UK

Street Photography with M9 and 50mm Summicron

My final outing testing lenses for Street Photography was with a 50 mm lens. I have to say that this was less successful. With the 50mm it is much more difficult to be spontaneous. With the narrower field of view and the tighter depth of field, plus the need for higher shutter speeds, composing dynamic shots was much more difficult. Framing has to be much more considered and predetermined. I was not so keen on this lens and less happy with the results. Nevertheless I did get a few good ones. Here are some examples of my work:

Street Photography with M9 and 35 Summicron

I have continued my street photography experimentation with different lenses. My next stop was the 35mm Summicron. I must say that the 35 mm lens seems a great lens for me. It is possible to use zone focusing with reasonable  success as the 35 mm lens has reasonable depth of field. At the same time the narrower field of view compared with the 28 mm makes it easier to get 'close' to the subject and fill the frame with the action.

I was very pleased with the results for this lens and think that at the moment it would be my lens of choice.

Here are some of my recents images: