Project 10: soft colours revisited

Hoping to be able to capture some more images for winter I set out into the Lincolnshire Wolds for a favourite walk. Disappointingly the bright morning turned into an overcast late afternoon with dull flat lighting. I did think though that in the Valley Wood the conditions would be ideal to capture some shots to further illustrate Project 10. The overcast even lighting meant that there were no dark and difficult shadows and the fallen leaves and winter trees took on soft and muted tones. The last image I have included has two figures which also tie the afternoon into Project 7: figures in the landscape.

Ins and Outs, Guardian Weekend, 25.02.12

In this article Robert Macfarlane marvels at Michael Marten's photographs of British beaches at high and low tide. This project was made possible by the fact that in this country we have extremely wide tidal ranges: up to 15 metres in the Bristol Channel rather than centimetres in the Mediterranean. Marten made himself an expert on tide tables and the timings of the biggest spring tides and he travelled all over the country capturing the difference between high and low tides and the litteral zone in between.

The results are remarkable. By means of his side-by-side time-lapse technique, Marten makes visible to us landscape contrasts that would otherwise go unperceived. The chromatic range of his work is distinctive: this is a realm of muted russets and browns, silvers and blues, greys and soft greens. Against these natural hues, the colours of human presence stand cheerily bright: candy striped windbreaks and swimming costumes, plastic buckets and spade'. This fits in absolutely perfect with the subject of Project 10.

Exhibition Visit: A Sense of Time, Ropewalk, Barton-on-Humber, North Lincolnshire

This exhibition was curated by Hull photographer Chris Harland, who himself takes stunning images of the local area, his ones of the Humber Bridge coming to mind. The images selected were all chosen as they represented different interpretations of the 'time' theme. Ranging from long exposure photographic captures portraying movement and the passage of time to simple, classic images which illustrate those moments we all experience when time seems to stand still for a moment giving us cause to pause and reflect - Chris Harland.

I like an image my Keith Britton entitled Rush. It is taken at Spurn Head and features the iconic lighthouse and a very dramatic sky (HDR?). In the foreground is the remains of an old groyne, the main part of which mirrors the lighthouse and has been carefully placed on the intersection of thirds. This is a long exposure so the rushing waves are blurred, thus contributing to a sense of time. I like this shot as Spurn is always somewhere that I have intended to visit and hope to do so to capture images for Project 6. Kelsey Evans 'A Second of Stillness' and Neo Heny's 'Frosty Tree on a Derbyshire Hilltop' attract me as they remind me of the fog images I took at a nearbye location during the recent snow. Whereas Kelsey has placed her tree on a third Neo's is in the centre of the image projecting up from the horizon line which is approximately 1/3 of the way down the image. I am also attracted to local artist Pete Roger's images of 'A bend in the River' and 'River of Sand'. A Bend in the River is a magnificent sunset image of the River Humber and River of Sand is a simple image taken on a sandy beach of a stone which is placed on intersecting thirds and has patterns in the sand leading diagonally into the picture. Low side lighting has created lovely shadows to give form to the image.

There are many other excellent photographs in the exhibition but the ones above are my favourites.

Reflections: 3

As I have now completed most of the course work and have a large portfolio of images to select from for my first assignment, it is time to reflect on how I feel I am progressing - although to a certain extent I shall have more of a feel for this when I receive comments on my first assignment from my tutor. I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying the course so far and I am enjoying making landscape images as a change from my normal wildlife work, although I am also keeping my hand in here too. There is a link to my own website and also my flickr page in the about me section should anyone wish to view my wildlife work.

Project 1:

I found this project straightforward. I always keep in my mind to place the horizon in an pleasing way depending on the interest in sky and foreground. However it is surprising how often I look at an image on the computer and find that I have inadvertently placed the horizon in the centre of the picture. I know that on occasions it is good to break the rules, but only if that is the intention. I need to remember to spend a little more time when framing the shot to ensure that I have placed the horizon where I really want it.

Project 2:

I find that I have a leaning towards the vertical format when shooting most subjects, including landscapes. I usually shoot both formats and make a selection later. It is interesting how this preference is very subjective when showing images to others.

Project 3 and 4:

I enjoyed this and also project 4 where I stitched images together to make panoramas. I did find the post processing problematic though and I must make time to practise this technique more.

Project 5:

Another enjoyable project , but one where it came home to me how lazy we become with zoom lenses. When using a fixed focus lens it it vital to ensure correct positioning of oneself in order to achieve the desired framing. In one image from this exercise I realised too late that I would have framed the image better if I had moved forward a few feet. I could have cropped in Lightroom but decided to leave it as I shot it to maintain the authenticity of the exercise and to remind myself to be more careful in future.

Project 6:

I must remember to complete this exercise.

Project 7:

I think that placing a figure in a landscape image can often enhance the shot. I feel that this is the case in at least two of the images that I have taken. The one in the fog is one such case. The two figures give scale, perspective and context. In a similar way the shot of my brother on a pinnacle in Mallorca gives scale to the surrounding mountains. If the aim were to take images for an interest magazine, the inclusion of people would be essential.

Project 8:

Linear perspective is by far the easiest to employ and in my area of Lincolnshire, where I have decided to shoot images for both assignment 1 and my portfolio, there are many opportunities and in order to inject variety into my photography I need to look for every chance to employ other methods to give my pictures depth.

Project 9:

I have yet to complete this exercise. Winter makes it very difficult to show a wide range of greens. I have, though, identified several locations where this should be possible in the summer months.

Project 10:

The foggy weather we enjoyed (endured?) during the recent snow gave ample opportunity to record pictures with a muted palette. As well as the two shots from my archives that I included in the project, I recently went out on an overcast day with disappointingly flat light. I took some photographs in a local woodland and the light and late winter colours provided just the opportunity to record soft muted colours and I have now included these in my blog write up. Interestingly, instead of holding his hands up in horror on a day of flat misty lighting, Galen Rowell would rub his hands with glee as it allowed him to take shots that he wanted that were impossible in more dramatic lighting conditions. It brings to mind a quote I once read (although I cannot remember the source), that there is no such thing as good light and bad light - just light. Mind I have also heard it said that good light is everything. I certainly find dramatic lighting more exciting to work with. Having said that, when photographing flowers overcast lighting is more sympathetic the who;le sky acting as a giant soft box, again to quote Galen Rowell.

I have now reached the point where I need to organise and edit the potential images for my first assignment. I was conscious that, when I started the course in January, I only had half of the winter to work with, although I had been taking some shots in December knowing what was coming up. I worried that with the mild winter Spring would overtake me. I am pleased to say that not only did I have ample time to secure the shots we also had snow which added to the drama of winter and also allowed me to complete Project 25. I find editing my pictures one of the greatest challenges in photography. In order to help with the process I shall print a series of A5s of the potential shots on draft paper and leave them spread out to mull over and move around. Then I shall print the final selection at A4.

Having watched Jose's videos on image submissions on the student website I have endeavoured to make sure that my prints are of a high quality. I intend to use high quality pearl paper and I have invested in a Spyder and calibrated my monitor. I also intend to acquire the printer profiles for the paper I use. I am not sure how this is going to go - there may well yet be a cry for help!!!

During the last few weeks I have also enjoyed getting to grips with the work of some of the featured photographers for Assignment 4: Ansel Adams, Fay Godwin and Galen Rowell. I thoroughly enjoyed Godwin's book Land and also the exhibition at the National Media Museum 'Land Revisited' which I went to last year. I am currently reading Galen Rowell's 'Mountain Light'. As a lover of mountains and an avid mountain walker and one time (long ago) rock climber, his work is particularly attractive to me. Although only part way through I love his images taken during the golden hours just after sunrise and before sunset.

I have been fortunate to visit a photography exhibition at The Ropewalk in Barton-on-Humber entitled 'A Sense of Time'. Whilst some images were not landscapes others were and all were fascinating. I have made notes on this elsewhere in my blog.

We take the Saturday Guardian every week and this is always a mine of good photography. Each week are featured readers' pictures, the current week's being the theme of Transport. Also in the current week's magazine there is an article entitled 'Ins and Outs' in which Robert Macfarlane marvels at Michael Marten's photographs of British beaches at high and low tide.

All in all a satisfying start to this module.

Fay Godwin: Land

During 2011 I visited the National Media Museum to see their exhibition of Fay Godwin's work entitled Land Revisited. I was so impressed by this work that I treated myself to the book of Fay Godwin's original 1985 exhibition, Land. I was also aware that she was the president of the Ramblers association from 1987 to 1990. In this role she campaigned heavily for greater public access to, and the conservation of, the British countryside. Being a keen mountain walker and lover of wildlife and the countryside, this also attracted me to her work. Colin Harding, curator of the exhibition said: " Fay Godwin was able to capture the differing moods and textures of the British Landscape with remarkable sensitivity and without sentimentality. These images established her reputation as one of Britain's finest landscape photographers."

This ability to capture the landscape without sentimentality is echoed by John Fowles in his essay at the beginning of Land. He begins his essay by expressing a dislike of photography as "everyman practises it" and even professes to dislike landscape. What he goes on to say, however, is that he dislikes photographs and paintings that sentimentalise our landscape. He says that over countless generations man has altered and despoiled the landscape around us and that if artists are to paint or photograph i,t it should be warts and all. In fact this is what Fay Godwin does, as Harding points out without sentimentality. Fowles also goes on to say that if photographers and artists perpetuate the myth that the landscape is always beautiful we encourage its continued destruction. I agree with this but I also feel that although she photographs the countryside warts and all she does so sensitively using lighting, viewpoint and perspective to make beautiful thought provoking images unlike some photographers who insist on photographing 'the warts and all' and making the resultant image, in my opinion, look ugly. I have to say that I am one of the breed who attempts to portray the beauty in the world and in wildlife and have to confess I may have cloned out the odd telegraph pole ( something to consider in my next course Advanced Digital). I admire Fay Godwin for her lack of sentimentality when taking photographs and still making beautiful images. At the end of his essay John Fowles concludes that "Even a totally wild landscape is humanized once it is photographed; but finding that point on the right road, the exact place and the exact time, where the humanizing is almost forgotten, so that the final print seems almost a natural object in itself, requires the greatest skill of all, and I believe it is a noble one.

Fay has that skill, and gives me a humbler kind of reassurance as well, that she can so frequently deny all those no doubt quirky personal doubts I have concerning photography, which are in turn a product of my general fear of the machine; of its passive inhumanity grown active inhumanity."

Very little of our landscape is truly natural, the wilder parts of our coastal scenery and the ancient Caledonian forests in Speyside being two exceptions. Virtually all of our countryside has been altered by the hand of man. As Ian Jeffrey points out in his introduction Fay Godwin has delighted in the juxtaposition of the wilder parts of our land with the more tamed. Occasionally this is stark as in the case of "Bunker and hawk, Dover Cliffs" or the old caravans and plough in "Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan Peninsular". At other times it is more subtle as in "Goynes, Pett Level" or "Boardale, Cumbria", where the man-managed farmland with cattle grazing is juxtaposed with the open fellside beyond the intake wall.

I love her images of standing stones, especially in "Black sky at Callanish, Lewis", and the single marker stone in "Marker stone, Old Harlech to London Road, Wales". The detail in intimate landscapes such as "Rocks and grasses, Cratcliffe Tor, Peak district" and "Chopped Tree, near Bradbourne, Derbyshire" are also inspirational and give me ideas for photographing One Acre for assignment 2. Her images of single trees in images such as "Tree with sheep, Alcomden, Yorkshire" and "Stream and birch, Glas Bheinn, Sutherland" put me in mind of some of the single trees I have photographed, although I hesitate to compare myself to Fay. The former tree image is also a reminder to work when the weather is inclement; apart from the tree and it's immediate surroundings the rest of the view is cloaked in dense cloud and mist. It reminds me of an image I took in Torridon a couple of years ago. In the morning I had photographed the peak of Slioch in excellent light. On another occasion, returning to our campsite along the same road in a torrential downpour, the rain suddenly cleared leaving a rainbow over Slioch but the mountain was cloaked in cloud and lost to view. " Large white cloud near Bilsington, Kent" whilst being John Fowles cherished favourite" is also a favourite of mine as it is reminiscent of the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds which I am using as my 'home patch' for assignment 1 and my portfolio.

Project 10: soft colours

Having been out recently to photograph fog, it is an ideal opportunity to use the two images below to illustrate soft muted colours. Both pictures have a slight blue cast but I decided to leave this as I feel it enhances the images.

I have made use of the two images above from my files as I feel that they also illustrate the use of soft muted colours as well as aerial perspective.

I still need to look for two more scenes to add to this project so that I have used current images.

Project 9: colour themes

As it is winter there is currently very little green in the landscape so I will come back to this project as the course progresses. I also need to keep an eye out for opportunities to fulfil the other two criteria: the largest range of colour contrast that you can find and one isolated strong colour set against a contrasting background.

Now that Spring has arrived there are more opportunities to find a wide range of greens in the landscape.  I made a trip to the Hope Valley in Derbyshire recently to escape from the gloomy, cold grey conditions on the Lincolnshire coast.  I used this opportunity to look for greens in the landscape around Ladybower Reservoir.

 In this image of a wooded foreground in front of Bamford Edge on the skyline I have selected an area with as many greens as possible.  The dark greens of the two fir trees through bright mid greens to the yellowy greens of very fresh foliage.  Just below the edge are the muted greens of oaks just coming into leaf.

 Looking across the overflow outlet in Ladybower to the range of greens on the hillside beyond.

 Again a wide range of greens here seen across the reservoir.  I have used a different green on the tree as a frame for the shot.

 Another view across the reservoir towards Derwent Edge beyond.  I have included the wall in the foregrouns as it is covered in yellow green moss with the bright green of the field just beyond it and wide range of greens in the trees.

 Once again a wide range  of greens in the trees and grass in these two shots.

 A close up of trees showing a variety of greens.
















Another shot of Bamford Edge with a variety of different greens.















The second part of the project was to look for a wide range of colour contrast in the landscape.  I looked for blue/orange, red/green and yellow/violet combinations.  Yellow/violet, so far have been difficult to find.


In this sunset image taken at Worlaby on the edge of the Northern Lincolnshire Wolds I have combined the bue hues of the fore and mid ground with the intense orange in the sky.

Here I have used the purple/red of this pyramidal orchid to contrast with the bright green of the background.  I used a 150 macro lens in order to through the grass pleasingly out of focus in order to provide a plain non-distracting background.















The third part of this project asks for images with one strong accented colour set against a contrasting background.

 This image is taken close by in Cleethorpes at low tide.  I have used this bright yellow buoy as my accented colour set against the more muted background.

Here in the local Lincolnshire Wolds village of Beelsby the red telephone box stands out against the predominantly green background.

Project 8: using perspective to help composition

Since enrolling on the Landscape module I have been busy capturing images both to fulfil the projects but also potentially to use for assignment 1 as I want to ensure that I have a full coverage of winter. Lincolnshire lends itself well to the use of linear perspective with its hedges, fences, lines of trees, crop lines and drains along the coastal marsh. I have used the two examples below to illustrate this project.

In this image of Saltfeet Haven, about half an hour's drive away, I have framed the haven to travel diagonally through the image giving depth through linear perspective. I moved in close to the moored boats, partly to give foreground interest and to make the most of their reflections in the still water, but also to increase the sense of depth through diminishing perspective as they appear to grow smaller as we move into the image.

Here both linear perspective ( the diagonal line of the hedge and the tractor tracks disappearing into the frame) and diminishing perspective (the line of trees becoming smaller) give a sense of depth to the image.

I have tended to use wider angle lenses in much of my recent work and this enhances the perspective effect. I have fewer if any recent examples of other examples of perspective: aerial, tonal, and colour and will look out for opportunities to capture these as I move through the course.

Although my aim during this course will be to take images specifically for the projects and assignments, it can often be a case of being in the right place at the right time. Three years ago I was fortunate to be able to visit the Italian dolomites and Lake Garda. whilst there I took the two images below and, remembering them, thought that I could use them to illustrate aerial perspective. Both images were taken towards the end of the day under hazy conditions and succeeding ridges of hills become more misty and less clear giving a feeling of depth and muted colours to the scenes. I remember being pleased with them at the time.

Project 7: figures in a landscape

In this project I have tried to ensure that the landscape remains the dominant part of the image but I have added small figures in such a way that, hopefully, they enhance the image. In each case I have placed the figure to one side of the shot and if possible on an intersection of thirds.

In this first image above, I visited a local area of parkland on a foggy morning after the snow looking for some images to portray winter. I was fortunate that there were a few people present and took the opportunity to capture this image of the foggy scene but included a parent and child on a sledge. I feel that this really works and gives a sense of scale to the picture and is an excellent focal point. Although a small part of the image the adult is looking into the picture.

In the two pictures above I took one without a figure to see if there was a difference. I placed the figure in the first shot roughly on an intersecting third and also she is looking into the picture at the remains of the old jetty. I think that gives a sense of scale to the pilings and also to the Humber Bridge in the background.

Again these two images show one with and one without a figure. I was out walking with my brother fairly recently in the Tramuntana Mountains of Mallorca. I took a shot of the pinnacle without a figure and then asked my brother to scramble up onto it. He is extremely small in the shot but I have carefully framed it so that he is on an intersection of thirds and also so that he can be seen clearly against the sea visible through the dip in the hills. I really feel that placing a figure here has worked and gives a sense of scale to the picture. A definite improvement on the shot without the figure.
Another shot from the recent trip to Mallorca, here on the Formentor Beach. I wanted the shot looking down the beach through the two trees but my wife fortuitously walked into the frame. Again it adds a point of focus and human interest but I am not sure that the figure doesn't take the eye away from the view. Perhaps more of a portrait.

Again anther picture from high in the Tramuntana Mountains of Mallorca. I asked my brother to look into the view and placed him on the edge of the frame. Hopefully in this case he adds a sense of perspective and adds human interest to the scene.

In conclusion, whilst I usually try to avoid people in my landscape shots it can add a sense of scale and human interest. Pictures such as this would be of interest to outdoor and other interest magazines where they need another subject in the landscape, whether it be a walker, mountain bike or other such. I have recently been fortunate enough to have a series of photographs published in Landrover Owner International magazine following a vintage landrover trip to Morocco and the Sahara. In each case they needed either people or the landrovers to be in the picture even if a small part of the landscape.

Project 6: framing the view differently

I intend to visit Spurn Point in order to complete this project and so will return to it at a later date.

Project 5: interacting subjects

For this project I decided to visit Walesby of the edge of the eastern scarp slope of the Lincolnshire Wolds. I thought that the, now largely disused, All Saints Church would make an ideal subject as it sits on the hill above the village and can be seen from various distant vantage points as well as close to. The church dates back to the 1290s but was abandoned in favour of the newly built St Mary's which is situated in the village itself. The old church was renovated in the 1930s and became a meeting place for various local groups including the ramblers. It became known as the 'Ramblers Church' and a stained glass window depicting walkers and cyclists, was donated by local ramblers in 1951. The Viking Way long distance footpath now passes through the churchyard. I used my 17-85mm zoom lens set at 35mm. I selected this focal length as I felt that I could use it for more distant shots with the building appearing too small yet it would be a wide enough angle to use close to. There was still good snow cover when I completed this project so I was careful to dial in some positive exposure compensation. I also used a polarising filter to enhance the blue of the sky and help saturate the colours.

I took this shot as I drove down the hill into the village. It is a good vantage point for the church which is perched on the hillside above the village. Unfortunately I laft home too late in the morning and the sun was really too high in the sky even in February. I was shooting into the light here and have nearly finished up with a silhouette. I carefully placed the church on intersecting thirds but feel that the foreground lacks interest.
Here I am approaching the church by the Viking Way footpath which ascends the hill via an attractive sunken lane. This is the first view of the church as one approaches it. I was still working into the light here.
Now I have reached the church gates and the positioning is better for the light. I like the gates in the foreground but am sure sure about the tower being masked by the tree branches. In retrospect it may have improved the picture if I had slightly opened the gates to invite the viewr to 'walk through'.
Here I have slightly moved my position to avoid the branches obscuring the tower.
I have moved into the churchyard and photographed the tower from the side. The light is better here, although more or less behind me. In these last three close up shots the angle makes the tower appear to be leaning away.

I much prefer the two images above. It is a more sympathetic view of the church and it is now pleasantly lit from the left.
Using the same focal length I have moved in close to the porch and the same time have included some of the view over the valley. Framing is complete with the tree on the left.

The church is open and I thought that the interactive aspect of the project would be enhanced by including these two shots of the 'Ramblers Window'. Again I kept to the same focal length.
Now the Viking Way leads us out of the churchyard again.
This perhaps my favourite view although I think it may ave been improved by positoning myself slightly closer (or zooming in or cropping) so that the sapling on the right and the large tree to the left were right on the edge of the frame. I'm not sure bout the footprints - they do lead the eye to the church.

For these two shots I have moved further round to my right. I like the last one where the church is framed by the tree, although on another shot I zoomed out slightly and this improves the image.

This was an interesting and challenging project. It is a reminder of how challenging using one focal length is and I have not always positioned my self in the best spot. I am not happy with the plain blue sky - the images would have been better with some interesting clouds. They would also have been improved with the sun lower in the sky. Fortunaely this location is only half an hour away from home so I shall be returning.

Project 25: snow and fog

After Saturday night's snow the weather turned foggy this morning so I went out again to try some shots of snow and fog. After one or two trial exposures I again settled for a one stop positive exposure compensation which I bracketed. I then made some fine adjustments during post processing in Adobe Lightroom. I like the effect of the fog - it adds an air of mystery to the images and reduces them to simple shapes and compositions.