Good Light?

I read an article in a magazine recently in which the author challenged the assertion that there is such a thing as 'good light' for photography. Essentially, his argument was that there is only 'different' light. In making his case, he mentioned a book written by an unnamed, well known photographer which, he said, had initially misled him to believe that 'good light' was all important. I found myself wondering whether he was referring to Joe Cornish's book 'First Light'. If that was the case then I suggest he re-reads the book because I think he's missed Joe's point entirely. That said, is he right?

There is no doubt that the well established principle that photographs (in particular, landscape photographs) benefit from the 'golden hours' - those periods around sunrise and sunset. It also cannot be argued that the dramatic lighting often seen as storms are breaking or clearing can make for an equally dramatic image. But, is he right - is all light good for something?

During half term, we were invited to spend a few days with friends in their holiday home in Anglesey. One of them is also a keen photographer so we made plans to go out for sunrise on the first morning. As we set out, I suspected we were in for a disappointing morning as there was heavy cloud cover and a strong, biting wind to contend with. Our intention had been to photograph at one of the many lovely bays to be found on the northern coast of the island but it quickly became clear that wasn't going to be worthwhile so we instead headed down to Moelfre harbour - a location that has worked well for me previously (see below).

On this occasion, however, the conditions were far from favourable so we decided to move on again, concluding that there was little hope of a decent photographic session and we might as well look for future locations. With this in mind, we headed over to the headland near Point Lynas and explored a little. The photograph below is the only exposure I made that morning. It was hand held (I couldn't be bothered setting my tripod up) and, consequently, lacks depth of field. It is no more than a record of the scene for future reference.

So, I would say that, on this particular morning, the light wasn't good for photography. It might not look so bad from the image above but that has been tweaked a little to give it some life. It was, without question, a miserable morning.

I wouldn't say his argument isn't without merit though. If I was to take it literally (as I think he possibly did in relation to the book he mentions), I would have to disagree. However, I think what he was really trying to say was that we shouldn't ignore the possibilities which exist even in non-dramatic light and that some subjects actually work better in those conditions. In this, he is absolutely right.

The following pictures were all made in bright but overcast conditions later that day. Not grim lighting as we'd experienced first thing.

 In each case, the scene would have been less effective had it been lit by direct sunlight. It is very true that different subjects benefit from different lighting. It is also true that different light can create a very different mood in an image. The pictures below were taken from the same spot, at the same time of day, one day apart. They make for an interesting comparison but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which has the greater impact on you - and that's the beauty of photography!

Shell 4 Villages Half Marathon

This post isn't about the landscape, light or for that matter about photography at all. This post is about my eldest daughter Kate who ran in the Shell 4 Villages Half Marathon last Sunday. Running a half marathon may not seem much of a feat to many people but it's something I have never done and it's something Kate had never done either - before last week. Kate is not a runner. At least, she wasn't before she made the decision in October to run in this annual race. I'm not exactly sure what initially prompted the decision to run but it was quickly followed by the idea to run in aid of Cancer Research in memory of her Grandmother (my Mum) who died of cancer in September.

Kate trained consistantly, even through the awful December, running in snow and ice. Unfortunately she picked up a strain about three weeks before the race and was unable to train after that. Consequently, come the day of the half marathon, the furthest Kate had run was 8 miles.

The 4 Villages is not the easiest race of it's type being a fairly hilly course and, of course, run at a time of year when the weather is often not good. On Sunday, however, the conditions were about as good as you could possibly hope for.

Kate finished the run in a really impressive time of 1 hr 55 mins and raised around £400 for cancer research. At the finish line, she was totally shattered and had to be held up. She was utterly determined to finish and I could not be more proud of her. I also know her Grandmother would be very, very proud of her too. I am also very grateful to our friend and neighbour L (1566 above) who ran with and encouraged Kate all the way.

It's been a good start to my photographic year - I have an image published in the January issues of two photographic magazines. Of course, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a slight fear that it was more about peaking too early than a good start.

 

This photograph is featured in the Viewpoints section of Outdoor Photography. Sadly my suggestion for this part of the Clwydian Range didn't make it into the main Viewpoints and it is only reproduced as a very small picture but I going to be positive and regard it as a foot in the door. It's not the first attempt I've made at getting something into this magazine so it's good to have finally succeeded, even in such a small way.

The photograph was made in January of last year. I was able to make it into the Clwydian hills on the morning following a fresh and heavy snowfall. I spent a full day walking in the area, enjoying the most amazing conditions and, in the process, was able to make half a dozen images that I am really happy with.

This picture is published in the January edition of Professional Photographer magazine and is even more pleasing as it comes from being shortlisted for the Architecture category of their 2010 competition. The competition attracts entries worldwide so I can only be pleased with even getting close to winning.

In case you are wondering what this is of; it is the walkway between the multi-story car park and John Lewis at the Liverpool One shopping centre. I've been through it on many occasions but this was the fist time the sun was at just the right angle to complete the scene by casting shadows that echo the roof. I would like to be able to claim that I previsualised this on a previous visit but I'm afraid that would be a lie. It was pure, dumb luck that I was there at the right time.


A good start but the trick now is to build on that.

Walking WIth Dinosaurs

I am a bit of a dinosaur. I've only just started blogging and still resist the lure of Facebook and Twitter. Similarly, I held out against digital photography for a long time and, even after I had purchased my first DSLR, I continued to be faithful to my much loved Mamiya ProTL. I only bought the DSLR because I was about to embark on a significant commission and I felt it would be good to have the comfort of certainty that I had some pictures in the proverbial bag.

Despite my continuing love of film, I never really engaged in the 'film vs digital' debate. By the time I had bought that first DSLR, I had accepted the inevitability of film's decline but I believed (and still do) that the two mediums can and will co-exist. However, looking back over this year, I realise that, for me, film is largely a thing of the past. For various reasons, I have done little in the way of photography in 2010 but what little I have done has been with a DSLR. The convenience digital imaging offers has proved to be the decisive factor.

I still think there is a quality about a medium format (or larger) transparency which you don't get with a digital file (I'm not talking scientifically) and I just love the way my Mamiya handles and the satisfying clunk of the shutter - but I've not made an exposure with it since January. I'm sure I will still continue to use it occasionally but it is no longer a permanent resident in my camera bag with the Nikon a mere interloper.

Despite this shocking (to me at least) revelation, I am still regarded a dinosaur. I try to remain true to my photographic roots; my aim is to get it right 'in camera' rather than rely on Photoshop to 'fix' things later and I still make relatively few exposures. I don't have any argument with those who like to experiment with software but my pleasure comes from making the photograph 'in the field' and I can think of few things worse than spending even more of my life in front of a computer screen. I also believe that the disciplined, more considered approach required when using film is more likely to yield better results than I would achieve if I were to abandon it. That said, there is no arguing that digital imaging has provided me with the opportunity to experiment a little more and that can't be a bad thing.

'Plants with Personality'

Photographing flowers and other plants should be easy, shouldn't it? After all, they don't move (except when windblown) and so, unlike wildlife, don't require stalking. What's more, they are all around. And yet, if you can't find a plant or composition that stands out in some way, what really is easy is to find yourself accumulating lots of very dull and uninspiring pictures. It may be that you don't have to stalk plants but it is certainly worthwhile spending some time to hunt out really good examples. That very accomplished nature photographer, Niall Benvie coined the perfect phrase to describe what I mean; 'plants with personality'. It is so perfect, I wish I had thought of it first. So, what is a plant with personality?

The photograph above was made during a recent trip to Scotland. I had just spent a very enjoyable hour or so at a large waterfall just outside Callendar and was on my way back to the car when I became distracted the ferns to the side of the path. After searching around for a while I came across a nice specimen which I devoted some time to before seeing this. Of course, what helps this picture is the fact that I was able to almost eliminate the background detail completely but it is the shape of the plant that really makes it stand out; the plant has real character. I never have got round to doing anything with the picture of the first fern that attracted me - it just didn't compare. Come to think of it, I don't even think I have yet got round to processing the waterfall pictures; for me, this became the most important image of the session.

The picture below is another good example. On this occasion, I did set out to photograph plants and had made the short journey to Ness Gardens on the Wirral Peninsula in hope of getting something from the late afternoon light. I was initially attracted by the translucent quality of the bamboo and felt there must be a picture worth making. However, it took me quite some time to find what I was looking for and that turned out to be one of the very few stalks which wasn't perfectly straight - again, the plant that had some 'personality'. All the time I was being savagely attacked by nasty, biting things which had come up from the nearby marshes to find fresh blood: Never let anyone say photographers don't have to suffer for their art!

Of course, just as with people, personality comes in many different forms. I'm gather that the fruit of the Strawberry Tree (below) can get you drunk but I promise I haven't experimented myself.

A Week in the Dales

Last week was half term and the opportunity for a much needed break with the family. Of course it is also an opportunity to explore and photograph a new area and these two things are not entirely compatible. We stayed in a very comfortable and well equipped cottage in the Wharfedale village of Conistone; a wonderful spot for walking and photography and, although the conditions were unexceptional for the most part, it was good to be able to find potential compositions within easy walking distance.

This panorama is the view from a small hill behind the village. It was taken shortly after sunrise and is the view northwards taking in the nearby village of Kilnsey with its dramatic crag.

Talking of drama, there are few more impressive geological sights than Malham Cove. The light is a little harsh on this photograph of the cove, it being early afternoon on a bright October day. Nonetheless, you get some sense of the scale of this natural limestone formation.

Of course, Malham Cove is believed to be the site of a large waterfall, created by a melting glacier. That would have been something to see but there are still some very picturesque falls in the area including those and Aysgarth and (pictured below) West Burton.

I first came across West Burton falls when passing through the area on the way to the opening night of a Joe Cornish exhibition at his gallery in Northallerton. That time it was early spring and the surrounding trees were still bare. Even then it was a lovely scene but I knew it must look even better with foliage on the trees and  determined to revisit later in the year. The image above is the result.

The subject of 'smooth' water is a source of regular debate in photographic magazines. It seems to be one of those things that polarises opinion but I am very much in favour; for me it simply creates an appealing result in many cases. I consider photography to be an art form and art is always going to generate debate based on people's subjective views.

One unexpected treat was the discovery that our visit to Fountains Abbey near Ripon coincided with a special evening which involved the abbey being floodlit. If ever there was an excuse for getting the tripod out, this was it and the family were all very patient as I spent a happy hour and a half competing with the many other camera wielding visitors. Of course, I had to be patient myself, often waiting for quite some time for people to move out of the way.

It was worth waiting for though as a nearly full moon was perfectly placed to add to the atmosphere. When I was setting up to take the photograph below, my father struck up a conversation with one of the guides who said that, in 16 years of working there, she had never before seen this combination of floodlit abbey and alignment of the moon. The only way I can think this scene could be improved would be if it had come together a little earlier when there was still some colour in the sky. You can see the difference that makes from the picture above.

The only downside to a very enjoyable evening was to find myself the apparent and unwitting competitor with another photographer with similar equipment (i.e. tripod and reasonably high end camera). I first thought his partner's continued presence in my composition was accidental but a sly glance round at me and no subsequent movement made me think otherwise. She only moved when I finally gave up, packed up and walked away - watched by the woman and her photographer partner.