Research part V

No color in my life now...well for a wile...since my second theme change slightly bit....I don't even know how to call it now....Landscape via Reportage...maybe...

Anyway I had to finish my research on this subject...only one month is left till final date...and lots more to do....

Same as last year in my research about photographers I wanted include some one from my country...probably it is something to do with sentimentality...I left long time ago, I new only old masters, but recently looking through the Internet Latvian web pages I discover that since then a lot of new artists are become more popular, so I decided to pic up one of them, with similar stile what I need to complete my journey to black&white photography.

Raimo Lielbriedis

 /Despite the ability to realistically and simply reflect reality, photography is one of the most personal and unexpected form of expression. / R. Lielbriedis//

Raimo Lielbriedis (1962) - dealing with photography since 1978. He organized six solo exhibitions and participated in more than 17 group exhibitions. His works in collections can be found not only in Latvia, but also in Denmark, Poland, Bulgaria and Finland. Recently he won a prize in the Year photo gallery "Art Garden" and is one of the tutors of John Rosenthal  - Riga- High School of Art.

He also is author of book, what introduces beginners with world of photography - "How to shoot?"

The book does not pretend to be a fundamental photography course. Relatively easy to read, distancing from the technical terminology and hardware descriptions and also very positive.

Addition of each chapter, with practical tasks, Raimo talks about main success key for freshly baked camera owners - to think, before press a switch.

I didn't have that book I just been reading the review...and then he grab my attention with some of his black and white works, no matter that he also gives attention to color photography. 

Raimo black&white`s are very inspiring, very similar to what I wanted to achieve and what I need researching more....

This is my favorite...I saw this and wish I was home...I can feel the sea...monochrome gives this photograph that fantastic feel, what color will probably kill...

 

Low angle, slightly close,interesting composition, very own and very strong in my opinion....sea is nearby, house in the edge, still made me feel homesick.

I like sea scenes in color, nothing wrong with that, but this black&white image capture also some kind of beauty, that days breeze and mood of the sea....

 I am not patriot, not at all....but I am happy that even my miserable poor and small country have persons, that despite everything still sees a nice things, do good work, and achieve something...

R.Lielbriedis presentation methods also talks about author only positive way, looks excellent and works very well in order to impress audience of exhibition....it is something similar what I had in mind at the end of this theme...frame all my work...

(more images)

http://www.birkenfelds.lv/eng/page/225/



Landscape is the genre which, more than any other, sets in competition the simple viewer...the painter, amateur or professional photographer and each one wishes to recall a personal vision of this collective spectacle....But however - landscape requires particular attention to physical environment rather than people.

John Blakemore

 

John Blakemore is a master - renowned for his richly detailed and nuanced landscapes and still-lifes, predominantly in monochrome.

Born in Coventry. He discovered photography during National Service with the Royal Air Force in Tripoli in the 1950s. After return he started working on his own documentary photography in Coventry, shooting the new immigrant population.

The University of Derby became his new employer where he taught the Diploma in Creative Photography.

His landscape photography began just before he moved to Derby and it was always about ideas about place rather than just the place itself. He wanted to capture a sense of the forces that shape the landscape at large. Nearly all of John’s work was based on the exploration of a theme or topic and worked out as a series of pictures over time. In the late 1980s he stopped his landscape work and started working on still life.

Borrowing once again books from library I get one of his works - workshops in Black and White photography.... very good learning material for those who working with film...I didn't find nothing useful for myself as a digital camera owner apart from lovely images of water making parallels with my own work.

Even if world accelerates towards the digital future John Blakemore works are irresistible …I really admire how he captures water and sea scenes...how he balance the black and white tones of rock and sea......rockfaces and occasional rock pool-the intimate details of the beach.

John Blakemore, as I read, is one of those very rare individuals in British photography whose work is known, and appreciated, across the entire spectrum of the craft. Whether you talk to advertising or editorial photographers, artists or darkroom specialists, his reputation is held in equal respect. One of the strengths of his imagery lies in its elements of accessibility. It's work that someone entirely new to photography can approach and enjoy. 

-Books :

• John Blakemore. British Image 3. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1977. 
• Spirit of Place: Photographs in Wales, 1971–78. Welsh Arts Council, 1979.
• Inscape: Photographs by John Blakemore. London: Zelda Cheatle Press, 1991.
• The Stilled Gaze. London: Zelda Cheatle Press, 1994.  
• John Blakemore's Black and White Photography Workshop. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 2005

 http://www.landscapegb.com/2011/03/master-photographer-john-blakemore/

.

Naseeb Baroody
/1924 –  2010/

Just by accident ...researching materials about black and white photography I came across to Naseeb Baroody. Fine artist which photographs touch me deeply. I sew couple images by him in "Better picture guide to Black&White photography" by Terry Hope, so I decided to explore more and proudly put him into may final part of research...


More I learn about great landscape photographers ...more I understand, that more or less everyone are very much inspired by Ansel Adams. Every time I read about some artist I came across Adams name...N.Baroody is not exception. He several times attended legendary Ansel Adams workshops. So is really not surprising that he works are real piece of art.


Naseeb Beshara Baroody was born April 1924, in Florence, South Carolina to Lebanese parents. His life work in photography began early in his life - with a passion for black and white images. As a child, the technical and artistic aspects of photographic expression fascinated him, he began with the classic Baby Brownie and progressing into medium and large format cameras.

Although that his mine job was in medicine, he also was an author of an award winning books of fine art photography and many of many his prints is worth admiring ...specially seascapes, what became my mine subject of the landscape theme.

The sea is an endlessly inspiring environment....it can offer the potential for a huge range of pictures... N.Baroody was a genius for spotting that potential...he easy fined inspiration from lighting, subject matter and record shoots...

 

 

 

Hasn’t nothing to compare whit that I just want to say, - my opinion about black and white photography now is very high...and now I truly understand why is returning back into digital world....Black and white photography gives incredible lightness to the image, it's not overloaded with bold colors, but its simple , plain, calm....

Some photographers only work in black and white, others only with color, but digital photography allows the rest of us to have the best of both worlds and thats is amazing....

More from N.Baroody... just fallow those links...

http://www.jogglingboardpress.com/authors/baroody.html


http://www.baroodyphoto.com/index.html


Fallowing Black&White photography as I researched photographers give me an inspiration for life, I gain a good knowledge about famous people, they work, technics. I really started to love black and whites and probably for future I will be exploring more as I learn and grow into photo industry....
Fallowing link introduces you with some of the best books about black and white photography and anyone who are interested are welcome to take a look....

http://www.bestphotographybooks.com/genres/black-white

Black & White world.

Research part III

Over a Spring/Easter Holidays I went to a Wales - Conwy....I had never been there and it was lovely. As I grow up near the sea, I was very glad to see a open water again, what is a rare thing in Midlands....The weather was sunny for a change, and I was hoping to take some decent photographs over there....unfortunately light wasn't my friend ...as I went there it was a midday....the worst time to take some pictures...Back home when I look at my work - I didn't like it at all, but I had some idea how to improve that....I change some of images in Black and White and was very surprised that it turn out not so bad as I was imagine on first place. That give me an idea....Because is about  time to me start seriously thinking about my other theme, what involves Landscape photography  - I thought - as I am not mobile enough to go places in appropriate time (early mornings, late evenings), when light is the best to capture landscapes, I can do with some black&white images, which also look attractive taken in the daytime.

After a long break I went to college library to find some books about Black and White photography and also following advise from my tutor I decided to explore more in this area.

John Beardsworth

 

(Photography used to be a hobby. I took pictures in my spare time, made B&W and some colour prints in my kitchen-darkroom, and I shot a few weddings, but I was horribly sure I’d remain locked in a suit and tie (or at least in business casual). Somehow I escaped..../J.B./)

J.Beardsworth is a London based photographer and writer with a wealth of experience in shooting as digitally as on a film. He is the author of several books dedicated to Black&White photography as well as other.

The book what I came across was "Advanced - Digital Black&White Photography", -focusing on black and white photos J.Beardsworth  looks at both the camera and techniques needed to capture good images, as well as the digital processing that can be applied. Laid out in a logical way - creatively teaching the art and science of seeing in black and white. Also rules of composition are illustrated with the authors fantastic black and white work. It works well as a guide and reference and just looking at the illustrations is thoroughly inspiring. In my opinion perfect starting point for learning digital B&W conversions.

The main thing what he advises is to shoot in RAW and in Color. Principe is simple- color images - especially RAW files- contain the maximum amount of information. Quality is every bit as important as flexibility...and the best way to produce highest quality pictures is to shoot them in color, using RAW mode, and then convert the picture in Black&White using or camera options or appropriate software.The only downside of that is - as much as I like RAW image quality, it is very hard to display it....On previous level I shoot all my images with RAW mode, but to download it on blog is not impossible as a file took so much space, I had to produce a screen grabs from each of one of them...as well as If you wish to print out, is hard to find printing service willing to do so.

But returning to the J.Beardsworth - he a lot uses digital manipulation...in my opinion good but also bad....our days most photographers create stunning images using  computer tools, which I not very kin to...I didn't have Photoshop at home, but is not the only reason...I just trying to achieve, get image what I want without any other technical help....and that's is very hard I`ll be honest...So it doesn't surprise me that with a bit of channel mixer you can get probably more than one differing grayscale interpretations and decide which one you like more, and me same time never come even close to desirable result, but...that's life....and its not easy. But anyway, J.Beardsworth has a good point about all of this..."A well-composed picture will work equally well in color or black and white.."....So if happens to take a really good image its will nicely look as black and white...if not...you have to fix it.

 

 F/13, 1/100, ISO 100

F/13, 1/80, ISO 100

Thees was taken in Conwy bay, week ago...not of best of time, I had to use a small adjustments of contrast and sharpness and also converted them in black&white. They not the best one considering fact that I just finish my close-ups and turn into Landscapes, which requires using different camera settings.

 F/20, 1/80, ISO 200

 

 F/29, 1/15, ISO 200

Last two was recently made, by the canal close to Branston water park. This time fallowing advise I gone for a RAW in color, which after conversion in B&W turned out as JPG file. As I get use to landscape photography I realize that is very important to get complete scene into focus - changing F stop, smallest possible can do that very well. These images I only turn black and white without any other adjustments. Even it is not the best result possible I quite happy about myself...because I learned from my mistakes....and hopefully will produce for future something better and better.

For more
J.Beardsworth visit:

http://www.beardsworth.co.uk/

Back from Conwy I bring some images, which doesn't quite apply to landscape photography....they were more of the mixture of documentary, landscape and close ups....so in order to include them to my theme I had to find some similar artist to compere with.

Fay Godwin

(17 February 1931 – 27 May 2005)

F.Godwin was a noted British photographer, most widely known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast. Two books which I borrowed from college library give me chance to get to know her better and explore she’s work in black and white photography. 

The photographs I came across were a bit too depressive for me, there is a deep loneliness in some of her images, a sense of desolation - hoverer photographed exclusively in black and white it is a very good collection of bleak images of the British landscape. Is not even close to glossy coffee table photo books, but is totally unsentimental in its outlook, concentrating on light, shade and form, which is what photography is all about, and probably it is a beautiful at the same time..... She had a real, natural, intuitive feel for landscape, that’s for sure. I read in Internet that Fay Godwin get famous when she was already in her fifties - that's sounds promising and I am very glad, because I always thought that I am too old to do this, so I hope I still have a chance.

F.Godwin had no formal photographic training. As a author of several books dedicated to the land of its own F.Godwin nicely  present photographs show to us a contrasts of classical landscape images with images providing documents of mans impact on the land -  historically through monuments, stone circles and contemporary - environmental issues as well as political. 

 

My way into photography was through family snaps in the mid-1960’s. I had no formal training, but after the snaps came portraits, reportage, and finally, through my love of walking, landscape photography, all in black and white. A Fellowship with the National Museum of Photography in Bradford led to urban landscape in colour, and very personal close-up work in colour has followed.

—Fay Godwin, ca. 2000,

Probably not the best image examples, but that's all what I can find in Internet - books was full with outstanding photographs, but none of them was available in the net...but even from these you could understand what I meant when I say depressive....and lonely...I just get that feel look at them....it’s no doubt there are different meanings below each of them. F.Godwin photographing isolated and remote areas of the British landscape and producing many beautiful pastoral scenes as well as contrasting urban landscapes,  reflected in the complex relationships and tensions between man and nature.

More from F.Godwin:

http://www.faygodwin.com/

http://www.uklandscape.net/interviews/int%20godwinF.html

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/no-man-s-land---fay-godwin-s-last-interview-67

More from me:

F/11, 1/160, ISO 100

F/11, 1/160, ISO 100

These two was shoot originally in Monochrome mode, just to see how its works, no any adjustments done.

F/7.1, 1/100, ISO 100

F/7.1, 1/100, ISO 100

F/11, 1/200, ISO 100

Last ones was a bit manipulated, I change from color to B&W an added some sharpness and contrast.

My tensions probably was very simple, when I went for a day to Wales....I was happy and excited to change a scene, capturing something new for me....as I didn't bring a tripod, had to adjust my settings anyway to handhold the camera. Like I said I wasn't pleased with result and all photographs needed touch ups in computer, but still is turned out somehow well-

Assignment 206 Research part I

In this part of assignment I have to provide information on the research and influence other photographers and artists on my choice of images ....5 is a minimum, so I have to really think about my selected themes all over and look for a guidelines from some famous image makers. As I choose to do Landscape photography as well as Close-ups in nature, I have to concentrate my attention on that sort of photography and choice is big, every one from famous photographers at least once pay attention to nature and who can blame them if you look around everywhere you go you are surrounded by organic world which is despite cityscape find the way to decorate our lives.

I took this picture in a middle of Nottingham and if you don't know that - you will never guess!

/Manual, F 3.8, 1/125 sec/

So yes, landscapes is all around us and I am very exited to look much closer on this type of photography during my Level 2.

First on my research list is:

Charlie Waite. 

(born 1949)

 

Recently I came across one of his books "LANDSCAPE"  (The story of 50 favorite photographs)- it contains a personal selection of his 50 favorite images together with  advice on how to capture the unique beauty of  landscapes and all the technical details for each shoot. Although he works with a film - book contains many useful tips how to bring out the best of the scene and create stunning photographs.

Charlie Waite is one of the UK's leading landscape photographers, as I read he began his career as an actor and stage assistant, but later switched to photographing actors instead.

He photographic style is very personal and I can see his pictures is full with magical feeling of calm and harmony. In this particular book he talks about his pictures with such a love and I can understand way.

 

 This image Charlie Waite has took near his  home...in some peaceful evening. As you look at the picture you can feel its mood...it is so real and perfect rule of thirds... I know how inspirational that water can be...  as I grown up by the sea....

In his photo capture he uses fine grain transparency film, graduated filters, and often polarizing filters. The images then are printed by Charlie Waite himself. I feel very sad sometimes knowing that I will never be able to learn all technical stuff  to work with a film, all now is digital, easy, I would say lazy....of course still you have to know what you are doing, but in my opinion it cant be masterpiece...the real one. Looking Charlie Waite`s  work I understand what real photographer should be....without any image viewer you have to see the scene, how it will turn out, its like a special way of thinking and very hard work.

 

Picture above is my favorite...just look on the colors...I can call that - be on the right time in the right place. As Charlie Waite describe- he was heading for London on another business trip ...heavy rain was forecast and he wondered to take his camera with you or not, but like he write, and I totally agree with him, its all or nothing, because you can just take camera, have to think of other lenses, tripods filters and in his case ladder as well. As a rain was blocked hes view an the way, he was unable to see any landscape, but on way back he discover a combination of color and line that will satisfy him for many years to come (he`s not the only one). A farmer responsible for that mix of colors sad to C.Waite...- "You have benefited from my error. I planted my oilseed rape too late- is an early spring crop and linseed a late spring/early summer one - would be unlikely ever to see anything like that again".

Charlie Waite has not limited his exploration only to the British countryside. He has also traveled and taken photographs in many countries around the world. Loots of his favorite images was taken in Spain, France, Italy, Africa, USA.

The one from France grab me the most:

 

Trees near Amiens  - reflection works so well and look again at the lines and color of the scene, probably the nice is not the right word to describe that image.

Any photographer should be lucky to get images like this in his portfolio....and it is giving me a good ideas,  for my spring to come....even if I wont be able to travel far, I have a good feel with all my poor equipment and immobility I will get to create something nice....unfortunately, now still is miserable outside and I have to stay indoors and get on with my written amount of work and probably get some Polarizer and Graduated filters in order to produce something similar than C.Waite`s photos.

This bellow is the only one of dissent landscape in my photo collection till now….weather is my enemy I can’t wait for real spring to come. I took this image in Nottingham, in the Castle park, where I went together with my children. My main focus was on flowers, I used a regular lenses and just because, I was just passing I didn't have a time to work more on my shoot. If you look and compere it with C.Waite's  photographs is nothing common, but like I said before, it is just beginning and will be taking a lots more for future in order to produce something comparable. My tutor advice me to crop it into a square,  and for my surprise its turned out very well.

 /Manual, F/22, 1/10sec, 18mm lens, WB Auto/

More from Charlie Waite -   http://www.charliewaite.com

....................................................................................

Trees...that always was my passion, once upon a time I was good of drawing them, now I like to take a photographs. In each tree I found something beautiful - eye caching element which I want to memorize in my camera...Almost every landscape picture you will see trees, its like no detachable part of the scene, what decorates all image with is beauty.

If for flowers you have to wait for appropriate season....trees you can capture any time, no meter what part of the year, time of the day, even any weather conditions...you have endless choices....and that's probably what I like the most. 

Ansel Adams 

(1902 - 1984)

 

 "The whole world is, to me, very much "alive"-all the little growing things, even the rocks. I can`t look at a swell bit of grass and earth, for instance, whiteout feeling the essential life- the things going on- within them. The same goes for a mountain, or a bit of the ocean, or a magnificent piece of old wood"...../A.Adams/

Ansel Adams was the most honored American photographer of the twentieth century. His work, ranging from intimate studies of nature to sweeping mountain vistas, has been published in a many of books, posters, and calendars. Last week I borrowed one of his work - "Trees"- from the library and fall in love. This book well presents some  Ansel Adams finest photographs of trees - all in black in white - full of delightful scenes from redwood groves to flowering orchards... close-ups of snow branches to leaf patterns against the sky...and, of course, the mighty trees of the Sierra and the American West...

 

/Oak Tree, Sunset City, Sierra Foothills, California, 1962/

/Road and Fog, Del Monte Forest, Pebble Beach, California, 1964/

 

/Redwoods, Bull Creek Flat, N.California, 1960/

Those above is my favorites and once again it`s prove what I said before, to capture a tree is no need to wait for a sunshine...just look how stunning and impressive this photographs are ... whit it's  calm light and perfect composition.

I never thought that black and white photography can be so inspiring...as I always add some tree images to my photo library I tried to turn some of my recent captured trees in black and white and I was very pleased with results....

 

 /Nottingham, Castle Park/

 /Manual, F/10, 1/100sec, 18mm lens,/
I adore tree branches, they never look the same and make such a lovely patterns.

 /Burton-on-Trent, Shobnall fields/

 /Manual, F/20, 1/13sec, 135mm lens/
I was trying out to shoot thees trees with my telephoto lenses, that was the only way to isolate them from unwanted objects both sides of the scene.

 /Burton-on-Trent, Outwoods/

 /Manual, F/20, 1/13sec, 55mm lens/


In order to get that shoot right I had to crawling into the bushes, which wasn't very pleasant, but I really pleased with results.

I had lots more good images of the trees from last year’s work, but is not very useful now when I am on Level 2,... I have to make new images. My biggest problem is that I can get where I want - when I want. Photographer should be flexible and mobile, but I am mostly tied up to house and in order to get some new photos I had to plan a trip which not always turns out as success.

The last one is one I like the best, I added some sharpness and soften edges with photo editing software for more dramatic look and I think it works very well. Now everything is easy to be done…like I said before, I can’t count this as a real art. . That’s way I like to pay attention more to older photographers. A.Adams images are real masterpiece – as he worked with a film, darkroom, developing stunning photographs what from now I really admire. 

In Internet still selling some of the famous A.Adams photographs, posters etc. In this link you will find more information about artist, he’s work, life and honest passion to nature, what was really inspired me as well.

http://www.anseladams.com/