Working
That ^^^ means no flashy logos or daft graphics please!!
***LOOK AT IT BIGGER BY CLICKING HERE--> clicky AND FORM AN OPINION BEFORE READING FURTHER***
Second (and probably last) shot from the other night when I went shooting with my favourite Samoan out at the lighthouse on the peninsula round the corner from here. As I mentioned in passing before, it was really an excuse to talk crap whilst taking a few pictures, and was very nice because of it.
I don't know about any of you guys reading this, but I often have an inner battle when it comes to photos like this. If I take a landscape I take an angry one, because a pretty one is far too predictable and twee. If I take a photo of someone, I feel an inner need somewhere to not do it 100% as you'd expect. My dad reckons both myself and my sister are non-conformists, but I've never really been sure if that's not him trying to be proud of bringing up two rebels, or if it's actually true.
So I sat there looking at the lighthouse, marveling at Dave and how he's just wandering around finding angles to shoot it from that would have never occured to me as I'm too bloody stupid, and I'm battling in my head with the desire to take a photo whilst I was out there, but not to take one that looks pretty. Pretty landscapes suck as far as I'm concerned, there needs to be something else going off. There's no way you'll ever photograph the scene in a method which truly conveys the sheer beauty you'd be seeing if you were actually there anyway, so I see the chasing of the ideal, picture postcard photo as pointless. And not a little sacharin sweet. It's like Paris Hilton, she might be cute, but you'd never wanna marry the girl, you'd cringe every time you introduced her to your friends. (Though the ability to never work again would be a nice offshoot...) I feel the same about pretty landscapes, I'd cringe with embarassment if I showed someone something too coy and sweet. I admire Ansel Adams for the work he did pushing forward photographic ideas, but I hate his pictures. I really didn't like being seen out in Scotland with the tripod as everyone instantly assumed you were trying to be Colin Prior, and I sincerely was not. (I know all the landscape photographers of the world wish they were in NZ to shoot the scenery here, and I remain afraid of what I'll do with what I see when I get the chance to really see the sights of NZ.)
So with all that crap above in mind, I post this whilst hiding behind the back of the sofa, waiting to see if I haven't cocked it up. It's got star trails, blurry sea and a lighthouse in it for crying out loud, it's getting pretty close to being a bit coy and sweet. So the idea of shooting Dave's camera shooting the scene is me trying to break the 'pretty' and add the 'something else.' Seriously, do let me know if it's working, I never profess to be much good at landscapes...
And no, it isn't a digital back on the Mamiya, it's the reflection off the film holder bit, but that is Dave's bag and an empty beer bottle! :-D
Working
That ^^^ means no flashy logos or daft graphics please!!
***LOOK AT IT BIGGER BY CLICKING HERE--> clicky AND FORM AN OPINION BEFORE READING FURTHER***
Second (and probably last) shot from the other night when I went shooting with my favourite Samoan out at the lighthouse on the peninsula round the corner from here. As I mentioned in passing before, it was really an excuse to talk crap whilst taking a few pictures, and was very nice because of it.
I don't know about any of you guys reading this, but I often have an inner battle when it comes to photos like this. If I take a landscape I take an angry one, because a pretty one is far too predictable and twee. If I take a photo of someone, I feel an inner need somewhere to not do it 100% as you'd expect. My dad reckons both myself and my sister are non-conformists, but I've never really been sure if that's not him trying to be proud of bringing up two rebels, or if it's actually true.
So I sat there looking at the lighthouse, marveling at Dave and how he's just wandering around finding angles to shoot it from that would have never occured to me as I'm too bloody stupid, and I'm battling in my head with the desire to take a photo whilst I was out there, but not to take one that looks pretty. Pretty landscapes suck as far as I'm concerned, there needs to be something else going off. There's no way you'll ever photograph the scene in a method which truly conveys the sheer beauty you'd be seeing if you were actually there anyway, so I see the chasing of the ideal, picture postcard photo as pointless. And not a little sacharin sweet. It's like Paris Hilton, she might be cute, but you'd never wanna marry the girl, you'd cringe every time you introduced her to your friends. (Though the ability to never work again would be a nice offshoot...) I feel the same about pretty landscapes, I'd cringe with embarassment if I showed someone something too coy and sweet. I admire Ansel Adams for the work he did pushing forward photographic ideas, but I hate his pictures. I really didn't like being seen out in Scotland with the tripod as everyone instantly assumed you were trying to be Colin Prior, and I sincerely was not. (I know all the landscape photographers of the world wish they were in NZ to shoot the scenery here, and I remain afraid of what I'll do with what I see when I get the chance to really see the sights of NZ.)
So with all that crap above in mind, I post this whilst hiding behind the back of the sofa, waiting to see if I haven't cocked it up. It's got star trails, blurry sea and a lighthouse in it for crying out loud, it's getting pretty close to being a bit coy and sweet. So the idea of shooting Dave's camera shooting the scene is me trying to break the 'pretty' and add the 'something else.' Seriously, do let me know if it's working, I never profess to be much good at landscapes...
And no, it isn't a digital back on the Mamiya, it's the reflection off the film holder bit, but that is Dave's bag and an empty beer bottle! :-D