Red Jacket

Window of shed at a local garden centre.

Red Jacket

 

Urbex workshop

I was at a photographic workshop on Tuesday - "Urbex - Weathered Treasures". A long way to travel (Aberdeen - Hackney - Aberdeen), but well worth it - getting valuable advice from Valda Bailey, Doug Chinnery, and Terry Gibbins.

The workshop was in a Victorian warehouse / workshop, now used as an environment for film / video. This multiple exposure image was based on a rather sad looking plant found on an upstairs balcony resting against a wonderfully textured rough-cast wall.

Brexit

Alford Heritage Museum has good source material for multiple exposure images inspired by Brexit.

The images were created in-camera, two shots in each case.
The original subject was an old battered enamel / steel panel advert for "BP motor spirit".

Car park, Aberdeen

As a result of visits to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary I've had the opportunity to spend time with a camera in the hospital car park.

I initially got some monochrome images showing interesting views on the ramps between floors, but then discovered that with the right light and choice of White Balance settings the colour of the steel-work comes alive. The first image is abstract showing the colour and detail as originally visualised. The second image has a warmer light and more clearly shows that this is a car park.

Steel Work Abstract

Car park, Aberdeen

The car park is a modern multistory (12 or 13 parking levels) - a great improvement on the previous parking arrangements. 

Abstracts

I have been reviewing the photographs that I made last year, asking myself which images I like best. I've realised that many of my personal favourites have abstract qualities. Such images may warrant , or require, longer viewing times than images with more realist subjects. Abstract images are less likely to do well in an SPF or PAGB competition where an image will get a high score only if it has immediate impact. Photographers often don't know that judges at SPF / PAGB competitions view each image for only 3 to 5 seconds (true!) before giving a score. Any image that demands a longer viewing time is probably doomed in such a competition.

Given the speed of the judging process it is amazing how good a job the SPF / PAGB judges can do - in just a few seconds they will usually pick out any serious technical flaws and make a good assessment of an image's visual impact.  The overall result is that the stronger images succeed. This judging process does however work against some types of images - for success at SPF / PAGB immediate impact is essential.

In a monthly club competition the judge will always spend longer looking at the images, so different types of images can do better that those sent to SPF / PAGB competitions.

The images below, both January 2018, are more-or-less as found on the ground beneath my feet. Adjustments were done in Lightroom, no Photoshop.  The images were originally prepared as prints, with approximately A4 dimensions for the intimate mono "Road marks" image, and A3 for "Cosmic cold".

Road marks 1

Cosmic cold