A little darkroom manipulation and you can make a shot appear older than it is. I never expected to pull it of as the light was really bad during the shot, and to top it all I managed to get dust on the negative as I was placing it in the enlarger. But it turned out OK.
Another Parisian street shot, not a million miles from the Moulin Rouge actually.
Another great location to visit for the weekend. I love Paris, from its smokey cafes to its renaissance architecture. I must of used 20 rolls of film, walked 50 miles and ate my body weight in cheese and biscuits. It was well worth it, the shots I have are priceless.
One of those moments when your glad you brought your camera....
Another lake shot. I was a little disappointed not to capture the whole tree, next time I'll take a pair of steps.
These B&W shots were taken in Windermere. I met an interesting chap who just so happened to be a freelance photographer, he had a good piece of advice for me and that was to just shoot everything. Shapes, form, shadow and sunlight, man made and natural subjects. Getting to grips with the environment and what it has to offer.
These next few shots are from the good old days of film. Some of the detail has been lost in the transfer, but you can see how the shot composes itself in black and white. This is an excellent format and my all time favorite, if anyone wants wedding photos done, be sure I'll only do them in B&W. The benefits are simple, if the whole wedding party are wearing blank,mid or dark tones but aunt Bess is wearing bright red. Believe me it doesn't matter where she stands your eyes will be drawn into that part of the photo. With B&W you eliminate that problem and produce some great shots.
There comes a point when the experimentation gets out of hand. Trust me, get yourself photoshop and get it out of your system. If you cant see the edit, the only colour is the red phone box. The rest is in mono.
This one was a little bizarre, Its amazing what you find whilst walking in the Devonshire woodlands. The Acorn must of fallen 20ft and landed perfectly in the branch. The picture itself has some incredible shades of green.
Another of Devon's landmarks. This was taken at an old mine which has since been converted into a tourist attraction. Nothing spectacular about the venue, until you slow down time and play around with the shutter speed. Two things stand out for me and that is the flow angle of the water and the ambient green moss. Remember its all about experimenting.
I guess to start something like this its only fair to go back to the beginning. So to kick of I have edited some old shots taken about 6-7 years ago.
I guess my interest in photography over the last 20 years has been an on off relationship, the hardest part was dealing with the frustration of not quite getting it right. I’m a hands on learner, if you show me how to do it you only show me once. But with photography I never could sit with a manual or go to college. So it’s always been hit and miss or learn from big mistakes, Wasting 10 rolls of film for one decent shot or destroying negatives with a slip of the wrist. I dread to think what shots I have wasted due to mishap.
Of course the digital era changes everything, I am no longer afraid to blow 50-100 shots on a subject because I know there always going to be safe. I might only use 1, but the risk factor has been eliminated.
At first I was a digital sceptic, but now, I to am a believer. Don’t get me wrong I haven’t converted, I still love film. But I believe that digital has stood in the shadows of film for long enough and has grown up since the days of 1.5 mega pixels and dodgy dust specs on the sensor.
Digital is in its own right a tool for artistic expression and I know we'll have a healthy relationship for years to come.
