Last Day in Northumberland
On the very last day of our large format course we went over to Budle Bay to take a look at the sand patterns (and possibly take the odd photo). While Joe and a few others went over to the see pools created as the tide went out, myself and Paul Arthur went up into the dunes to try to capture some of the shifting sands. The main pictures are of an old peat layer that is gradually being revealed by the erosion. I went back to this location a few months later and the whole structure of the area had changed. That evening also saw a wonderful sunset - that I spent taking stupid pictures of the water. However I did get a nice picture of the sand patterns which were unlike any I had seen before (it reminded me of snake skin).
I really enjoyed the large format course and it felt like learning from friends rather than being tutored. I highly recommend the Light and Land large format courses, both Joe and David have an enormous amount of experience and you couldn't have a better starting point for a journey into large format than this.
Out of interest, I'd be interested in knowing which of the pictures in the sidebar you think I should include in my main gallery? I'll say which I prefer after I've got one or two comments..
Thanks for reading and sorry for the slow posting - I'm getting back into regular swing of things now and promise to post once a week from now on.
Highlight this Comment Jason Theaker07/06/2009, 23:11
I find the subtle things in thease images the most powerful. Isn’t if funny how the small things have the most power, well to me anyway. (o:
Highlight this Comment Paul Arthur08/06/2009, 09:08
Personally I prefer the one that includes the sky - as I said at the time.
The reason is that i feel the sky gives context to the formation. David Ward often makes images without context in a locational sense and I feel that they are stronger for it. I don't need to know where this image was taken (and indeed if everything has now changed, it's irrelevant), the sky simply gives you a sense of the time of day, ensures that you know which way is up and also gives you some sense of security that it wasn't taken on Mars. I also still really love the curve of the bank in foreground.
I suspect that you like the one without the sky, because it is graphically stronger. I'd agree on that front, but I think that there may have been a good compromise there somewhere if we'd had more time. Did you go back to the same place because you felt the same?
I find the different colour in the two fascinating as they were only taken a few minutes apart. Did you use the same emulsions?
Highlight this Comment David W08/06/2009, 10:22
Hi Tim,
Well you probably won't be surprised when I tell you that I prefer the first image!
I, too, like the sunlit bank in the second image but don't feel that the sky adds anything significant. It certainly doesn't tell you the time of day unless you know the compass orientation of the camera.
David
Highlight this Comment David O'Brien08/06/2009, 12:46
Hi Tim
In my humble opinion, the first one for sure. The lit areas front right creating a zig or possibly a zag to the peat line that leads into the image. Excluding the grass bottom left of second image makes this look more tidy and I would agree with the Master that the sky doesn't add anything. Also, the grass areas at the top of the second appear quite dark and this makes the sky (being distinctly brighter) more of a focus.
Rgds
David
Highlight this Comment Julian08/06/2009, 21:12
The first for the reasons already mentioned plus in the second the sky just looks out of place. The blue is efectively a new colour that doesn't appear elsewhere in the shot so there's nothing to link the sky in with the rest of the image. It feels spurious.
The first is tighter and more unified. The strong lines in the lower two-thirds seem to lack confidence in the upper third which weakens the comp a little for me, though.
Julian.
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin08/06/2009, 22:10
Thanks folks - Personally I'm a little torn between them. I know the first is a better photograph but I do like the second (which is probably more to do with me liking the subject more than the composition).
Regarding the colour difference, I have warmed up the second because it was very blue. I probably should have used a warm up filter when I took it but I thought the blue might be attractive (it wasn't really - it came out more cyanic).
Highlight this Comment Sean Lewis09/06/2009, 11:25
Hi Tim The first image is definitely a hit with me. It certainly has that reptilian look, like the spine of an Alligator. The light that catches the tip really brings the image to life. I find that the line in the dune that tails off from there quite pleasing for the eye to follow.
Highlight this Comment Nigel Halliwell10/06/2009, 19:28
It's a no brainer for me Tim, the top one . I think the sky would work if the sand bank at the top was not in such dark shadow and had a touch of direct light like the detail to even it all out
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin10/06/2009, 20:04
Thanks Sean/Nigel,
Looks like we have a winner! I've since seen this canyon and realised that the layer is in fact just the old soily surface of the dune when it was much lower. I so look foward to returning later with some nice inhospitable conditions i.e. freezing and windy would be good - scare off the dog walkers and tourists..
Highlight this Comment adamp13/06/2009, 20:24
No contest - the one without the sky! It reminded me of cracks in a glacier where it meets the mountain side. Sorry for the late comment....
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