Articles of interest
Displayed below are links and information to articles/work/sources of reference that i came across and are of interest to me and my work.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2629210/Photographer-uses-130-year-old-plate-camera-capture-pictures-modern-Britain-need-stand-15-minutes-work.html
Photographer uses 130-year-old plate camera to capture pictures of modern Britain (but you need to stand still for 15 minutes for it to work)
Photographer uses 130-year-old plate camera to capture pictures of modern Britain (but you need to stand still for 15 minutes for it to work)
- Jonathan Keys, 41, uses the collodion process, which was a photographic method used from the 1850s to the 1880s
- He has to haul around a huge Circa camera from the 1880s to take his incredible images of Newcastle
- Each still takes 15 minutes to capture but he says the fascinating results are worth the effort required
Jonathan Keys, 41, from Newcastle, has been practicing the process for three years and says the results are highly satisfying. 'It's definitely far more rewarding than digital photography because of the time and attention needed for each picture,' he said. Mr Keys will only take two to six photographs per day when using the wet plate process and reckons there are only around 50 people doing it in the UK. While this style of photography may be completely baffling to most who simply press a button on their phone for instant snaps, Mr Keys takes a lot of joy from it. He said: 'The fun part of it for myself is the need to be near a darkroom to process each shot. 'It's similar to a polaroid, once it's been shot you can move onto the next shot without thinking about the time you have to spend in Photoshop.''In theory it's actually quicker because many working photographers will spend hours on Photoshop, however you do end up with less images.' The process starts in the darkroom by pouring collodion onto one side of glass and then dipping it into silver nitrate, which makes it sensitive to light. While still under dark room conditions, the plate is then loaded into a camera and taken to Jonathan's desired location.Jonathan will then take his lens cap off the camera to expose the plate to light and guess how long the cap needs to be off for to obtain correct exposure. The plate is then taken back to a dark room and developed in a similar way to conventional film negatives. Unlike negatives and digital photos, the finished plate can be sealed with varnish to stop the silver oxidising and achieves a permanent record, as proven by stills taken 150 years ago.
Its amazing to see that such old and difficult methods of image taking are still being used today, the quality and clarity of the image surprised me, they have such a nostalgic and old appearance, taking the modern world back 100 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2626977/Big-picture-thinking-Worlds-largest-photograph-measuring-31ft-high-107ft-wide-goes-display-And-needed-biggest-camera-made.html
Big picture thinking! World’s largest photograph measuring 31ft high and 107ft wide goes on display (and it needed the biggest camera ever made to take it)
Big picture thinking! World’s largest photograph measuring 31ft high and 107ft wide goes on display (and it needed the biggest camera ever made to take it)
- Massive image is 3,375 sq ft and was taken using the world's biggest camera in a disused Californian air hanger
- Six artists and hundreds of assistants helped to create the black and white image of a disused airbase
- An entire fighter jet air hanger was transformed into a pin hole camera by sealing the interior from the outside light
The snap, called 'The Great Picture', measures a huge 3,375 square foot size - 31ft high and 107ft wide. In order to capture the image the artists had to create the world's largest camera which earned them a Guinness World Record.They transformed an abandoned fighter jet hanger into a giant pinhole camera - sealing the entire interior from outside light. A pinhole just under a quarter-inch in diameter was then created between the hangar's metal doors.
http://www.devon.gov.uk/natural_environment
a useful website in aiding research/information/keeping up to date with Devon info/events
a useful website in aiding research/information/keeping up to date with Devon info/events
The quality and character of Devon’s landscape has long been recognised as one of the county’s most important assets, and is the reason why many people choose to visit and to live here.
The diversity of landscapes in Devon is striking, whether it is the open windswept high moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor, the rugged coastlines of rocky cliffs and sweeping bays, secluded valleys, rolling hills of traditionally managed farmland, or its rich historic character. Our highest quality landscapes are protected through National or International designations, and include two National Parks, six Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and two World Heritage Sites. Although these protected landscapes are important, all landscapes in Devon have qualities and characteristics that are valued by people.
- See more at: http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/landscape.htm#sthash.JwyQCYiD.dpuf
http://www.hartlandabbey.com/
Important source of unique Hartland history. ( my own images below)
Important source of unique Hartland history. ( my own images below)
Built in the 12th Century as a monastery, Hartland Abbey survived longer than any other in the country. In 1539 Henry VIII gifted the Abbey to the Keeper of his Wine Cellar, and today it is the family home of his descendant, Sir Hugh Stucley, his wife, children, grandchildren and dogs! Hartland Abbey is probably the most historically important ancestral home in North Devon containing much of national interest, including architecture and decoration from the Mediaeval, Queen Anne, Georgian, Regency and Victorian periods.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/21/michael-schmidt-wins-prix-pictet-photography-award
Michael Schmidt wins Prix Pictet for sprawling global food series
German-born photographer beat Adam Bartos and other big names for an epic look inside factory farms, slaughterhouses and supermarkets
Spotting his work reminded me of Alexandras M's work, the images support strong political and environmental issues that are subtly visible within some of my images, through seeing this article i also looked into Schmidt's other work, of which i liked his landscapes more so.
Michael Schmidt wins Prix Pictet for sprawling global food series
German-born photographer beat Adam Bartos and other big names for an epic look inside factory farms, slaughterhouses and supermarkets
Spotting his work reminded me of Alexandras M's work, the images support strong political and environmental issues that are subtly visible within some of my images, through seeing this article i also looked into Schmidt's other work, of which i liked his landscapes more so.
Michael Schmidt has won the 2014 Prix Pictet for his series, Lebensmittel, an epic exploration of the global food industry. The theme of this year's prize, which focuses on photography and sustainability, isConsumption. German-born Schmidt beat a strong shortlist that included Adam Bartos, Rineke Dijkstra, Boris Mikhailov and Laurie Simmons. Lebensmittel, which roughly translates as "foodstuff", took seven years to complete, with Schmidt travelling the globe to photograph factory farms, industrial slaughterhouses and supermarkets as well as single items like a mango wrapped in plastic. He also captured more formal studies: a stooping farmer, vacuum-packed mince and glistening fish heads. The book that accompanied the exhibition is a heavyweight tome, but is, compared to some of Schmidt's other undertakings, relatively modest. Born in Berlin in 1945, Schmidt once described himself as a "blind-alley photographer", likening his approach to walking into a cul-de-sac and having to find a way back out. He has also said that "failure or making mistakes is an integral part of my way of working." Perhaps for this reason, his work can seem forbidding, both in its epic ambition and in its fiercely formal sequencing. In what is perhaps his most well-known book,Ein-Heit, Schmidt mixed contemporary urban landscapes and portraits from Germany with historical images from the National Socialist period. The mood, like the colours, is unrelentingly grey, but the book has an understated power.
http://www.shutterloveonline.com/photography-tips/landscapes/The-Compelling-Image-1891.shtml?LinkBackShutterLove=search%2Fsearch.shtml%3Fkw%3Dphoto%2520books%26chunk%3D2
not sure how i feel about this article, whether it totally contradicts the idea of conceptual imagery or whether it speaks some truth?
The Compelling Image: How to Avoid the Deadly Sins of Composition
not sure how i feel about this article, whether it totally contradicts the idea of conceptual imagery or whether it speaks some truth?
The Compelling Image: How to Avoid the Deadly Sins of Composition
A question all photographers need to ask themselves is, “What is my photograph about?” This is not, “What is my subject?” That is easier. But what is the photograph actually about beyond the subject itself? Often we see photos where people were in a great location and they stop at a stunning vista where everyone else stops. They hop out of the car, stand on the edge of the parking lot, and take the picture. That might be okay for a snapshot for the memory of the location, but that is not about getting a better composition and it will often lead to a confusing image. Imagine asking us to critique that photo—we don’t want to spend more time critiquing a scene than you did thinking about the picture! What is your photo really about? Make your image clear and simple. There may be photos in that big scene, but they won’t come from pointing a wide-angle lens at it and hoping for the best! Find something you connect to. Maybe you're a contractor and you like architecture, so you put on a telephoto lens and make this a pretty bold statement about the architecture of the location. Make the image unequivocal so nobody's debating what the subject is.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2635482/Remarkable-colour-photos-1939-honeymoon-road-trip-England-recreated-present-day-theyre-not-different-think.html
Let's go BACK down memory lane: We revisit the locations of those charming pictures from 1939 honeymoon couple's English road-trip and find things haven't changed quite as much as you'd expect
reminiscent of my research of Michael Marten these amazing contrast images show the change of a landscape 70 years apart showing incredibly similarities and differences! i can only imagine if i revisited the areas that i have photographed in 50 years time (touch wood ill still be alive!)
Let's go BACK down memory lane: We revisit the locations of those charming pictures from 1939 honeymoon couple's English road-trip and find things haven't changed quite as much as you'd expect
- Colour photos captured sights of newlywed couple as they travelled across east coast of England in August 1939
- Just weeks later, the peace and tranquility of the country was shattered by the outbreak of the Second World War
- Now the images documenting Denys and Margaret Gardiner's honeymoon have been recreated in the present day
- They feature shots of Lincoln High Street, River Thames, Monk Bar in York and Beverley Minster in East Yorkshire
reminiscent of my research of Michael Marten these amazing contrast images show the change of a landscape 70 years apart showing incredibly similarities and differences! i can only imagine if i revisited the areas that i have photographed in 50 years time (touch wood ill still be alive!)