Personal photography
It’s fun to take monochrome images at night. But challenging without a tripod (some places don’t allow tripods so I only use one for landscapes).
This was a bridge along the canals of Amsterdam. The reflection of the lights in the water attracted me. But I didn’t frame it wide enough (I was at the widest and couldn’t walk back any more) so I couldn’t correct the perspective of the buildings.
Panning from a moving boat in a canal? No sweat. I took this photo in Amsterdam while on a boat when it started to rain. I turned and saw the along the canal. I just had time to point up (I was lower on the water) and start panning behind him to catch one image. It’s one of my favourite images from my trips to Amsterdam.
The beach offers endless opportunities for monochrome. I have long series of photos taken on beaches.
Dark skies are not to everyone’s taste but I love them. They’re not menacing, they’re just window to the infinite universe. That’s what brought me to infrared (this isn’t infrared).
At the weekend, I walked through Cognac, France. When walking through the public park, I saw that metal bridge that I found interesting. The surface was all metal and was making waves (I suspect through tear, not planned). But I wanted someone near it. It’s surprisingly difficult to get people in the right place.: they all say sorry and get out of the way, not understanding that I want them in the picture.
Fishin nets drying on the beach near St Cyrus, Scotland.
I took this photo as part of a series to test my new (at the time) 5D.
Frosty mornings are great for monochrome. But the cold drains batteries so fast.
I don’t normally do abstract photography. My mind works in too literal a way to see interesting things in shapes and colours.
But once in a while, I see something that peaks my interest that isn’t landscapes or people.
This photo was taken near the BNF, the National Library in Paris. The L shaped building far right is one of the 4 main buildings of the library. Then one close right is another.
For some reason, they made the pavement wood all around the library. I can’t see wood and not take a B&W photo.
The tide makes interesting patterns in the sand. This one, around the remains of an old groyne post, made me think of the sun.
One of the things I really like is to take series of photos on a theme, photo journalistic style. To me, a monochrome photographer is a witness who should tell a story by focusing the viewer’s attention on the subject matter instead of being distracted by petty colours.
One early morning, I went to the fishing port of Peterhead in the North of Scotland to catch the trawlers coming back to port. I went round the harbour imaging the fishermen working on vessel maintenance, net maintenance, and unloading their cargo. I took about 50 photos before day break.
I had the Canon 350D with me at the time, with a slow lens, so the levels of light, in the winter at 3am in the North of Scotland, no tripod, with the rain, where a problem. The 350D only goes up to ISO 1600 and it’s terribly noisy at that level. But I went for it anyway, hoping that it would create appropriate grain (I love the grain of Ilford Delta 3200, especially pushed a couple of stops).
