Head to The Launderette at 145, Cheltenham Road, Bristol until 17 November but don’t take your washing. Instead you can see an exhibition of photographs by Herbert Shergold. Shergold had a studio in Bristol in the 1950s/60s and photographed everyday people in the style of Hollywood stars.
The exhibition is open Thursdays – Sundays from 11am to 5pm.
For more details go to: Now Keep Quite Still
There’s no doubt that the cameras in mobile phones get better with each new iteration, whether from Apple or the Android providers but are they camera winners? Like many, I watch each new product rumour and launch with eager anticipation. (I have always used iPhones so what Apple does is of particular interest.)
The results the latest phones can produce are truly remarkable. Combined hardware and software advances are today producing camera phone images of a quality that could only be dreamt of a few years back.
Nevertheless, I find there is always a dilemma. Getting the latest and best camera in a mobile phone comes with a hefty price tag of circa £1,000.
Right now that amount of cash will buy a small dedicated camera with a bigger sensor and a better lens. In other words, the best camera you can fit in your pocket is not a mobile phone (yet). On the other hand, it’s a camera and doesn’t do texts, emails and phone calls.
Therefore, to my mind whether or not the phone camera is a ‘winner’ comes down to two things. The first is what you want to use your images for. The second is whether or not you are happy to carry a small dedicated, and pocketable, camera with you ‘at all times’ as well as your phone.
Food for thought?
Every now and again the occasion arises to look back at images from the ’60s & ’70s. I recently found myself re-discovering old surfing magazines found in my attic, reviewing the (by today’s standards) low resolution vintage surf images printed in them and briefly being critical.
But these are powerful images, many for the time ‘state-of-the-art’, taken by skilled, and dedicated, photographers. Those photographers were working with equipment far less sophisticated than modern digital cameras.
My initial response was along the lines of ‘gosh the image/print quality was poor in those days’. However, I quickly rejected that view as I studied the pictures in more detail, considered the technology available and succumbed to the appeal of the grainy images. They are powerful on many levels – evoking the ocean way of life, reflecting the styles of the period, featuring some of the surfing ‘greats’ of the day, capturing the challenge and thrill of the wave and unleashing a fair amount of nostalgia.
It is, as so often commented, a fact that an image does not necessarily need to be technically perfect to leave a lasting impression.
(If there are any surf magazine collectors out there, these are mainly ‘Surfing’ and ‘Surfer’ issues from the early to mid ’70s. Reach out to me via my ‘Contact’ page if they are of interest.)
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I’m probably in a minority on this one but I find myself increasingly troubled by what appears a trend towards the use of ever more ‘arty’ language to describe photographs, the rationale for photographic projects and creators’ areas of specialism.
How often these days do we see phraseology along the following lines?
‘… the project explores the complex interaction between perceived reality and lived experience, within an historical context, amongst a minority and little known community…’?
Is this really what the project set out to do? Is it post-rationalisation? Is it the belief that complex syntax and ‘big words’ somehow add importance to the work and elevate it to a higher level of achievement? Is it all part of a search for artistic recognition?
No doubt many will view such descriptions/explanations as central to conveying the photographic mission. Many others will appreciate the ‘arty’ language. There is, therefore, no right or wrong – but there will be different opinions.
The writing that communicates most effectively is invariably both concise and simple in structure. Personally, I prefer to look at an image and draw my own conclusions about the content. A picture is ‘worth a thousand words’ and all that, so give me a brief caption by all means but otherwise let the photograph tell the story.
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We all encounter those periods when, for one reason or another, it’s hard to find the time to be out and about with a camera. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s work commitments, maybe it’s life or, perhaps, COVID confining you to barracks. Looking for online inspiration can help.
Turning to the Web on these occasions switches these fallow times to a source of inspiration and learning. There may not be a few hours spare to lose yourself in a photoshoot but the likelihood is there are still a few minutes available in the day to check out what others are up to and to boost your knowledge of photographic technique and your editing skills.
Recently, I have been somewhat short on photography time/opportunity but online resources have still provided a very positive ‘photo hit’. Even when I think I know all I need to about a piece of software, I find there’s a great new snippet of information being shared by someone that’s going to help my workflow or introduce a new piece of gear. Plus, we can all learn by checking out images from other photographers.
The options are pretty much endless but my personal favourites are the likes of 500px, The Phoblographer, Fstoppers and Jay P Morgan – not to mention the many well-established commentators on YouTube.
All-in-all there’s plenty out there to keep the photographic juices flowing until it is time for the next shoot.
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There are many iconic locations in the UK and, of course, around the world which attract photographers like mega-magnets. Images of these places crop up with remarkable regularity on social media – so is there any value in photographing a place that has been pictured thousands of times already?
It seems to me that there are probably two main reasons to do so.
The first might be to ‘test one’s skill’. The thought process might be along the following lines: ‘That’s a great image, I would love to capture something like that so I’m going to visit the location and give it a go.’ Viewed as a learning process or simply to add a nice image to a personal portfolio/record this seems entirely valid.
Perhaps more valuable, however, is the determination to obtain a truly different photograph of a familiar scene. This is a substantial challenge which – sheer good luck aside – might involve, for example, extreme weather conditions, a genuinely new perspective or the addition of a different element to the image content. It may take frequent return visits to a particular spot to capture such an image or, alternatively, a high level of pre-planning to introduce a special element that genuinely makes a difference. Not an easy ask and not one for the ‘casual’ snapper.
In my region, the South West, among the most frequently photographed locations are the low lighthouse at Burnham-on-Sea, Glastonbury Tor and Clevedon Pier. Search for images online and hundreds (probably thousands) will show up. If you’re up for the challenge, why not take a look and then set out to capture that truly different take on the location.
It can be well worth it. By way of example, check out glastomichelle on Instagram. A Glastonbury resident and regular Tor photographer, Michelle Cowbourne recently captured an extremely rare, possibly unique, sight – a Lancaster bomber flying past Glastonbury Tor. Her images ended up in six national newspapers!
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