Ian Cameron

I first came across Ian Cameron at the library in Swadlincote in a very small section of photography books.  The book Trassient Light (A Photographic Guide to Capturing the Medium) stood out.  It's one of a series of titles issued by the Photographers Institute.  I have grown to appreciate this book more as time has gone on (had to pay a fine when I took it back and I now own a copy).

"The essence of good landscape photography seems to boil down to three things: composition, timing and light and I believe that this final ingredient, light, its colour, quality and strength is the single biggest infuence on the success or otherwise of the final image."  Ian Cameron 

The autumnal colours make this picture for me, the sunlight giving a warm tone to the whole image.  The bridge leads you into the scene to meet up with the bare trunk at a third line.

I have aimed for a feel between these two images
with this image from the gravel pits at Hilton.



Ansel Adams

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.

A good photograph is knowing where to stand.

A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into.

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.

Ansel Adams was a serious perfectionist, sometimes taking days or weeks over the taking and developing one photograph.  Much of his photography was black and white developing using gelatin silver.

Many of the quotes that I have been able to find are about photography being self-expression not use of rules.  The images all have incredible depth, almost a 3-d quality about them.  The tonal range in each image is very exact.  Adams writes about using the step wedge system to ensure that the tonal range for each image is as close as it can be to what was seen. 

Each element of the image compared to exposure readings taken at the time and measured against a known grey-scale - the step-wedge.

Having said that there are no rules it is still possible to see influence in some of the image compositions.  Placement of subject or horizons approximating to third lines.  For me one of the striking things is the shear scale of the image captured.

Tim Parkin

http://www.timparkin.co.uk/

While researching landscape photographers you get a growing appreciation for how diverse the UK is (although you do see some areas more represented than others).  For years I used to travel around the country with the sole aim of visiting mountains or the sea.  It has taken me a long time to appreciate the full diversity of what is on offer.

I came across the web site for Tim Parkin yesterday lunchtime.  The images on display immediately struck a chord, bringing back places and times in my past.  For me there is a natural quality to the images.

Tim has been taking photographs since his teens, however, has concentrated on large format photography since 2007.  His website states that he has only focused on landscape photography since his 40's.  In spite of this he has featured in the photographer of the year exhibition at National Theatre.  Tim primarily works in the North of England and in Scotland.

Clachaig, Glencoe, Scotland

lens: 80mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/4.5

speed: 1s

aperture: f/22

nd filters: 0.6H

other filters: Centre Filter

"...whilst I was taking the large format version, I waited for the patchy sunlight to highlight the middle ground but to leave shadows on the background and to be diffused in the foreground. I also took three other pictures with light on foreground, dark background and other combinations. All but the first shot I took look terrible. The mixed light conditions looked wonderful though. Amazing what a few seconds difference can make.. "   Tim Parkin

This image just makes me want to go out walking for the day.  The wall, acting as a lead in line, points the way to go - up.  The wall also mirrors the line formed between hill and sky.  There is a wonderful clarity throughout the image, the depth of field being determined by the small f22 aperture. 

Tim Parkin points out that he took 4 pictures of this view, with the final choice being determined by the quality of light.  As well as thinking about light in general this has started me thinking about using light to enhance the composition itself.

The differing colours and textures are enhanced by the lighting.

location:Glencoe, Scotland

lens: 80mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/4.5

speed: 30s

aperture: f/32

nd filters: 0.9H 

'By the side of one of the fishing piers was one of the most pristine Fly Agaric mushrooms I have ever seen. ... I didn't want to capture a typical 'flora' shot and ended up balancing my camera on the floor, supported by a couple of books, in order to bring in the background to give some context to the picture. The mushroom looks enormous here but in reality was only about two inches high.'    Tim Parkin

This image has been taken using an aperture of f32, which would typically have been used to maximise depth of field.  In this instance the subject is close to the lens and the use of the small aperture and an nd filter have enabled a long exposure, 30seconds, allowing the capture of a very detailed image.  The fly agaric looks almost velvet in texture.  Leaf litter and the colours in the trees confirm to the viewer that his has been taken in the Autumn.  The primary focus on the mushroom is almost central to the shot, almost looking superimposed.  If taken out the background would appear to conform to the rule of thirds, both  with the edge of the water nd the edge of the tree.

location

Holy Island, Lindesfarne

lens

110mm Schneider Super Symmar XL f/5.6

speed

1/8

aperture

f/22

tilt/swingnd filters

0.6S

 The mountainous terrain in miniature was the initial attraction and the curve of the wall leading to a spiral around the castle. The ring is only about 2 inches across but the use of a 110mm lens (about 24mm on a 35mm SLR) and the looming perspective distortion of back tilt makes it look big enough to moor a supertanker. This is still work in progress as I'm not enamoured of the light or sky, but the composition works for me.                       Tim Parkin        

As highlighted by Parkin himself the perspective is one of the most striking elements of this image.  The colours are also very striking with the rust relfecting the natural background colours. This image conforms to the rule of thirds more than other images that are on the website.

Slime

location: Broadhaven, Polzeath

lens: 24-105

speed: 1/60

aperture: f/16

"The colour contrast combined with the twisting textures of the rock being overgrown by the acid green seaweed provide an alien foreground, accentuated by the ominous sky"  Tim Parkin

Sharpe contrast of colours and use of diaganals make for a very striking image.

An Evening with Dennis Morris

http://www.dennismorris.com/

Expectations?

Not sure really.  The flyer that had been handed out was fairly basic.

Come & meet the International

photographer famous for his images of

Bob Marley

The Sex Pistols

Marianne Faithful

Oasis and many more

Wednesday 13th October

At least I had heard of the people that would be in the images - more than that I had listened to some of the music that they had made at the time.  That ages me.

So I turned up to see an exhibition of photographs only to be taken on a journey through time with Dennis Morris.  Not an exhibition then, but a talk that detailed the how and why he had become involved with photography and a potted history of the journey that that had taken him on illustrated with photographs taken at the time.

Throughout the evening Dennis talked in a gentle and entertaining manner, his passion for photography and music shining throughout.

Dennis, mid interview.

We went to see a photographer - the talk / exhibition was more than this it was about the person - his background, growing up, personal influences - part of Black History Month

Dennis displayed a love of reportage. Before this event I had associated this with photojournalism, news reporting, candid images (often from overseas wars) that capture a moment or an event.  So how does this fit with Bob Marley? 

http://www.reportage.org/  describes reportage as the neglected art of storytelling in pictures.  This makes more sense and the evening starts to fall into place.  The images that Dennis displayed do tell a candid story of time and place.  More than just the image of an individual, while listening to the tale these people become more real, memories of the time start to sneak in.

The iconic image from the evening.  Bob Marley in an image that features on record sleeves, news articles at the time and continues to be seen when he is talked about.

For me, though this was one of my favourite images of the evening,  illustrating a relaxed time before everything took off.

This image is from the Bob Marley, a rebel life exhibition.  Not shown on the evening, but one that illustrates the share joy of the time, relaxed, full of life, Bob Marley the person, not the legend.

In an age of digital where you can take 100's of images at little/no cost it's important to remember the that these were taken on cameras that were fully manual, when you could not be sure what you had captured until the image appeared through the chemicals.  When asked about kit ,Dennis gave a strong response that it was mainly about being able to see the image, anticipation developed through an understanding of the subject and some luck in being there.