Ghost

London on film

I came across this picture when bropwsing through some old roll scans on my computer the other night. I was feeling a bit lack lustre and looking at the texture and tonality of the film images encouraged me to think about doing some shooting (and some developing…). This was shot on a business trip to London last year, during a quick walk around Westminster and I oerlooked it first time through.

Mike

The way is narrow

and there are many bridges to cross before we reach our final destination…

Perhaps that’s why so few find it?

Mike

W Eugene Smith quotes

In 1944, from Saipan, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, “… each time I pressed the shutter release it was a shouted condemnation hurled with the hope that the pictures might survive through the years, with the hope that they might echo through the minds of men in the future-causing them caution and remembrance and realization.” Later, he said, “I would that my photographs might be, not the coverage of a news event, but an indictment of war-the brutal corrupting viciousness of its doing to the minds and bodies of men; and that my photographs might be a powerful emotional catalyst to the reasoning which would help this vile and criminal stupidity from beginning again.”

“Photography is a small voice, at best, but sometimes-just sometimes-one photograph or a group of them can lure our senses to awareness. Much depends on the viewer; in some, photographs can summon enough emotion to be a catalyst to thought. Someone-or perhaps many-among us may be influenced to heed reason, to find a way to right that which is wrong, and may even search for a cure to an illness. The rest of us may perhaps feel a greater sense of understanding and compassion for those whose lives are alien to our own. Photography is a small voice. I believe in it. If it is well conceived, it sometimes works.”

In 1944, from Saipan, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, “… each time I pressed the shutter release it was a shouted condemnation hurled with the hope that the pictures might survive through the years, with the hope that they might echo through the minds of men in the future-causing them caution and remembrance and realization.” Later, he said, “I would that my photographs might be, not the coverage of a news event, but an indictment of war-the brutal corrupting viciousness of its doing to the minds and bodies of men; and that my photographs might be a powerful emotional catalyst to the reasoning which would help this vile and criminal stupidity from beginning again.”

Across the Tyne 2

Across the Tyne

 

I’ve not photographed much lately, only a couple of brief forays out into the cold, but yesterday I needed a break and took a half hour walk around the Tyne Bridge are of Newcastle/Gateshead. I’ve a few pictures I’ll print and am particularly pleased with this one.

Mike

Walk with purpose!

Carols by Candlelight

We visited a local chapel attended by some friends this afternoon for a carol service. Aswe arrived thesky was beautiful.

I am finding that having a little Ricoh again is great fun. I tend to leave it set to record raw with a jpg in black and white, knowing that if I want a colour picture I can always process the raw appropriately later. The reverse of the ‘make it black and wghite if it doesn’t work in colour’ approach, but it works for me.

Mike

Northern Squares

I’ve just started a picture only blog, Northern Squares, as I’ve been enjoying using my Ricoh GX200 in square format. I’m still struggling with customising the appearance, so it’s pretty bland at present and some of the pictures will (initally at least have been seen here before. Anyway, please take a look.

Mike

All about the light?

I was having a bit of a web tour the other day when I ran across an exchange in a blog that propounded the old photographic chestnut that ‘it’s all about the light’. As ever the subject was landscape photography and the concern was that one of the conversationalists spent a significant amount of time waiting for the light to be right. Going further, the light was what made his photographs, it was really his subject.

All this is fine, but I was struck by how assured the statement was that ‘photography is all about the light’. When I look around, it seems to me that much photography is all about the subject and the light may enhance, detract or simply be irrelevant to the picture made. (You don’t even need much light now with the latest cameras it seems:))

Just a though, but it helps not to lose sight of how rich and diverse the world is, and that includes the world of photography.

Mike