Beyond the obvious

I wonder if there is such a thing as the technically perfect image ie what you get if you follow all the 'rules' of photography. For me photographic technique is about being able to control the technology so that when you press the shutter you get what you visualise. Focus, exposure, contrast, colour - all of these things affect the mood of an image, so if you want to create a strong mood, by definition, you have to push one or more of these aspects beyond the everyday norm of what you would see in a straight forward snapshot. Ansel Adams, the acknowledged master of technique, used filters, exposure, development, chemicals and darkroom manipulation to create dramatic images. Had you stood next to him when he made his images you would not have been able to guess how his interpretation would render the final print. An image is technically perfect if it communicates what you want it to communicate to the viewer. Cheers, Paul

Been more or less out of action this week with computer problems. Well the machine is rebuilt from scratch and working better than ever, plus I've added another 300 GB of space, which no doubt will be filled very quickly. If you shoot a lot of images my advice is to back everything up on DVD straight away. Don't let it accumulate. More soon. Cheers, Paul

There's a whole world to discover in the textures etched into the bark of this old tree. For me one of the joys of photography is discovering and exploring things like this. It's pure visual delight. Cheers, Paul 

A lot of landscape photography is about having patience and being properly prepared. You have to be pretty lucky to just drive out to a spot and catch it at its best. Many of the world's top landscape photographers produce their most stunning work in landscapes that they visit frequently. Often the best shot comes after several visits to the same spot. Joe Cornish's book First Light provides some examples of how a subsequent visit to the same place under different lighting conditions, or at a different times of the year can provide stunning images, albeit that the first attempt is quite successful. Landscape photographers need to not only look at the scene in front of their eyes, but also to look and assess the potential in the landscape. They have to think about what it would look like at different times in the year, different times of day and where the shadows will fall. It helps to make notes and modern GPS tools provide a convenient way of marking a spot to return to at a ...

As promised here's picture of the little chapel where I took the earlier blog's colour shot. Landscape is the art of seeing the possible. Cheers, Paul

One of my favourite types of photography is environmental portraiture. Here in a small chapel on the road to Meetkerke, my wife Magda, contemplates her family history which is intimately tied to West Flanders. She has a story to tell about nearly every village in this area and knows the roads like the back of her hand. This particular chapel stands like an island in the middle of an intersection between two small country lanes. I'll upload a picture of the outside soon. One of the reasons I like environmental portraiture is because you get to share and learn about people lives and history. It's often a fascinating journey. Cheers, Paul 

Pretty happy with this because it shows that feeling of joy, the thrill of going higher and higher till you think you're going to fly over the rooftops. 

Good portraits are usually the result of collaboration between the photographer and the subject. It's vital to establish a rapport. So here are a few tricks of the trade which can come in handy - in non-photographic situations as well. Firstly, when you shoot a portrait you should have everything prepared. Nothing breaks down a relationship faster between subject and photographer than fiddling around with lighting and camera settings - unless you can do it while keeping up a healthy banter. Actually the fatal error here is ignoring your sitter. When you photograph somebody they should feel like they're the most important person in the world. Being in front of the lens doesn't come naturally to most people. Lots of experienced models I know still feel vulnerable in front of the lens, until you put them at ease. So there we already have two important principles. Don't ignore your sitter and do everything you can to put them at ease. How do you build rapport quickly? Well...

At last I’m back and normal service on my blog will resume. While in Belgium I met with several other photographers and was delighted to hear first-hand how much my blog is appreciated. Wish I could meet all of you dear readers. A big thanks to everyone. I now have over 1,000 regular readers a month and the number is growing all the time. On my travels I was thinking about why we take photographs and what they mean to us. My wife Magda and I chatted about it and as we looked back at the thousands of images we’ve made during the last two weeks we again realised what a fantastic diary they form. Photography captures fragments of reality which make up the rich tapestry of our lives. There are no other art forms, except film and video which preserve these fleeting moments and still photography is all the more powerful because we can examine every detail of that split second at our leisure as it is registered on film or in pixels. To me all of the images I make are personal, including the c...