Landscape & Light by Phil Mann

2011 - A Retrospective

2012-01-01T03:05:00.001-08:00

I thought it would be interesting to look back at some of my favourite images from last year; if for no other reason than to consider whether I have actually progressed at all. The good thing about having posted so rarely over the last year is that only a small number will have been seen on here previously. Here they are (in no particular order):

In one of my previous blog entries, I mentioned that I had begun experimenting with a technique devised (as far as I am aware) by Niall Benvie. The technique involves using a white background and flash to create what is, in effect, a portable studio, allowing one to create studio like images of plants without disturbing them. I am far from perfecting the process but the image above is probably my best result so far; the subject suits the technique well. This is something I will continue to work on and that includes coming up with the most convenient combination of kit.

I believe I've written before about how much I love the Mersey Ferry. To me, it is the definitive symbol of my home town. It's existence has been threatened over the years but it continues to operate and now appears to have a firmly established role as a tourist attraction which should ensure it's future for many years to come. The ferry boats may have been refurbished and renamed but they are the same boats I travelled on as a kid when going to visit my Grandparents in Liverpool. It's easy then to see the emotional appeal this picture has for me and it has been my laptop wallpaper for much of the year for that very reason. For me, photography is still primarily about preserving memories and I can look at this photograph and remember vividly how I felt on that day and the kindness of the Mersey Ferries employee who invited me to stand beyond the barrier to get a better viewpoint as the ferry approached the landing stage.

This photograph represents a confluence of the desire to create memories and the development of my photographic technique. To begin with the latter; I've never really attempted much in the way of sports photography and this would undoubtedly have been improved with the use of a faster lens to throw the background out a little more. I also have other images where I have attempted to capture the relationship between the batter, catcher and umpire; these are ok but, again, a faster shutter speed would have helped. More practise needed so that means more trips to the States to watch baseball - shame! As for the memories; this was taken at a minor league ballpark during a wonderful family holiday in Florida. the batter is David Wright of the New York Mets; he was making his first rehab appearance after a back injury and it was pure chance that he was in the lineup for Port St.Lucie that evening. To be able to get to see him so close up was a thrill. Other things of note that evening; a lengthy rain delay where we got to hear just about every song about rain ever written, 'bark in the park' night where people were allowed to bring their dogs along and, last but by no means least, our first taste of Five Guys burgers and fries - simply the best!

I've recently expanded 'Landscape & Light' to include architecture; something I have always enjoyed photographing. Although most at home in a rural environment, I have always appreciated urban landscapes and there is a good deal of beauty to be found in architecture. A recent and, in my opinion, sympathetic addition to the Liverpool waterfront is the new Museum of Liverpool but, while it is striking from the outside, it is the interior staircase which really captures the eye. This is possibly the most obvious approach to photographing it although it's surprising how often people fail to look up. Incidentally, I am less impressed with the angular, black glass building now occupying Mann Island; it is not so much the building itself that I object to, rather it's position which has destroyed what had become an iconic scene from the Albert Docks across to the three graces.

Continuing the architectural theme, my next choice is this image taken from the Westminster Plaza hotel. This was actually taken with a compact camera (all I had with me at the time) and has not suffered too much as a result of that. The angle and the lighting provide a degree of dynamism with the main interest being provided by the contrast between the ultra modern hotel and the distant (double) view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

The previous image too very little effort to create. It was simply a question of being aware of my surroundings whilst waiting for the lift to arrive. This one, on the other hand, involved a considerable amount of effort. First, the planning; I was on a family holiday in Yorkshire and knew I had the following morning to myself as J and S were going riding. However, the forecast was for cloudy conditions so there was little point looking for open vistas and, on consulting my maps, I found what looked to be a promising river with falls. Finding it on the map was much easier than finding my way to it on foot and I ended up taking a circuitous route across high fells so that I could approach it from up river. This was far more exercise than I had planned for or desired but it probably did me good. When I arrived at this spot, the possibilities were immediately obvious but it was also clear that the ideal position would mean me standing in the river and, on this occasion, I was wearing walking boots rather than my wellies. I eventually arrived at a compromise which involved the camera being stationed rather precariously over the river on tripod with me sprawled across rocks to see into the viewfinder (now I see the point of those movable screens). Fortunately, neither me or, more importantly, the camera ended up in the water and the image was made. I would normally avoid what a wise photographer once referred to as 'dangly bits' but, in this case, I think the branches frame the waterfall nicely.

There are four or five images I could have used from this particular day in Snowdonia but I have settled for this and the following photograph. I had been asked to do a talk on landscape photography for Frodsham and District Photographic Society and decided that I should base this around a single day 'in the field'; my planning and preparation, approach and how I might react to changing conditions and other challenges. This was that day and, in many respects, it turned out to be ideal as the day started bright, cold and frosty but, by early afternoon, had turned overcast and gloomy. Not a surprise then if I tell you that this photograph and the one below were from the morning. I had never been to this spot before but it looked promising on the map and that was part of the story I was aiming to tell. I will certainly be going back. I was blessed with a beautiful morning although there wasn't a cloud in the sky and I spent more than 3 hours and made several pictures I am very happy with, without going outside an area measuring about 200sq yards. One thing I have discovered over the years is that it can be counter-productive to try to do too much and that you can often get better results sticking to a small area, particularly one you know well.

As I've already mentioned, this image was made on the same morning as the one above but it is a very different scene. I suspect the wider view above is more likely to appeal to most people but, personally, I get a great deal of satisfaction from capturing a more intimate view; something which might be easily passed by and missed. I love the detail of the moss on the tree, the bracken and the lightly frosted grass and this detail is reproduced beautifully when printed on a matt art paper rather than the high gloss I am more accustomed to using.

This isn't necessarily my favourite wedding image of the year although I am very pleased with it. There are just so many pictures to choose from a year in which J and I have been fortunate enough to be a part of a number of wonderful occasions for some really lovely couples. The picture I have chosen to represent all of these weddings is from our last of 2011; the couple were delightful, their guests friendly and generous and the location ideal. A very natural portrait of a beautiful, young bridesmaid - nuff said!

The last picture, and the hardest to pick. I had set myself a limit of ten and, as I've not planned this out in advance, I find myself with two or three to choose one from. I am not going to go back on any of my other choices so this is it. This was taken on a wet, gloomy day in Anglesey. There is not a lot to do on Anglesey when the weather is really miserable and one of the few indoor attractions is Plas Newydd so that is where we headed. As it happens, we spent a very pleasant few hours there and the rain eased enough for us to wander around the gardens. This was one of only two exposures I made; handheld at f2.8 and ISO 800. It is fine in colour but I feel the black and white conversion adds to the slightly mysterious and spooky atmosphere.

This, then is my top ten of 2011. I suppose I run the risk of you looking at these and deciding that, 'if this is the best he can do, he is not very good'. Still, it has been a useful exercise for me. As I said, this has not been planned out in advance and some of my choices have surprised me. The last one, for instance, might not had been included if I hadn't picked up a mounted print yesterday - the mount really finishes it off.When I started this post a few days ago, it was with the aim of seeing how much I have developed (sorry) over the year and, although I am not going to comment on my feelings about that here, what does interest me is what this choice tells me about my photography; it is clear to me now that, for me, photography is still a very personal thing and is about creating memories above all. There is only one image here (the first) which has been created for it's own sake; all of the others conjure up some specific memories of where I was and how I felt at the time. There is also, with the exception of the odd tweak, very little in the way of post processing to be seen. It's not that I think that is necessarily a bad thing; it's just not something that is important to me. If you like, for me, the means (photography and digital processing) is not more important than the end.

"Something tells me it's all happening at the Zoo"

2011-12-30T05:01:00.000-08:00

I feel blogging needs to be fairly regular to have any value so I guess that means my blog has little value. Somehow I never seem to find the time to write and it's been many months since my last entry. I could make a new year's resolution to blog regularly but I'm afraid I will have broken it before long. However, I will endeavour to write more frequently so as not to disappoint my large following (ahem!).

With the exception of my cats, I don't often photograph animals. I don't really have the right kit for it and I am in awe of people who do it really well; people such as Andy Rouse and my good friend Dave Griffiths. That said, I rarely go anywhere without a camera and a Christmas Eve trip to Chester Zoo with the aforementioned friend offered a challenge to produce some decent images. I deliberately chose to use my Nikon D300 rather than the usual full frame camera so that I would get the benefit of a longer effective focal length from my rather modest 70-200mm zoom and this was certainly adequate for the big animals.

However, for the smaller animals, I was forced to look for compositions that would compensate for the lack of focal length:

And, of course, for some, a bit of cropping was required:

It is also a fact that, although vastly improved over recent years, zoos are not the best places to photograph animals. For some you have to contend with very low light and glass. A polarising filter may be of use for eliminating reflections from the glass but, if it already quite dark as it was here, you can do little more than get the lens very close to the glass and hope.

For others, the problem concerns the viewing angle. Chester Zoo have introduced a walkway above the cheetah pen and whilst this provides an excellent viewpoint for seeing the animals, it is very hard to get a decent photograph from above. I resorted to creating something that was more about texture and colour than it was a study of the animal itself.

In conclusion; I will never give Andy Rouse anything to worry about but they are definitely the most pleasing results I've ever got at a zoo and I might even go back again next Christmas Eve if invited.

My Day Out

2011-04-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

It's been quite some time since I've been able to spend a day purely on photography but that opportunity was presented to me recently so I grabbed it enthusiastically. My first objective was to spend some time practising a technique for plant and flower photography developed by Niall Benvie so I headed off to Ness Gardens to have a go. What I discovered was that it's not as easy as it looks and a botanical garden, despite being blessed with interesting plants, may not be the best place to tackle it; it's something of a challenge to find suitable specimens which are positioned in such a way that you can set up the various tripods, stands and diffusers. That said, I spent a happy couple of hours having a go - with mixed results.

It was refreshing to try something new and I'll certainly keep working at trying to perfect it.

Following lunch, I decided to head for Port Sunlight . I hoped to find more blossom to photograph but, despite not finding anything suitable, was content to wander around the village for a while. I've always enjoyed spending time in Port Sunlight. It really is a beautiful oasis of calm surrounded by industry, busy roads and some not so attractive areas.

Finally, I decided to head for the Mersey Ferry. As you can see from the picture above, it was a really lovely spring day but certainly not the kind of conditions where you can expect anything very dramatic. My decision to go to the Ferry was really more about nostalgia than photography. I love the Ferry. I suppose it has a lot to do with the fact that it is an iconic symbol of my home town and also that it brings back many memories - when I was young, the Ferry was part of our long commute to my Grandparent's house in Norris Green. Now, of course, it is more a tourist attraction than a mode of transport but it's still so very important to me. I like to bore people with the tale of how I got to steer the Ferry one day and I'm certainly not going to waste this opportunity to do so. It promise it is relevant to the blog - bear with me.

My Mum and Dad bought me my first 'proper' camera for Christmas when I was 16, a Cosina 1TA. Eager to try it out, I headed down to Woodside on Boxing Day to take a ride on the Ferry. I was pretty much the only passenger that morning and rode back and forth a couple of times before being invited up to the bridge by the Captain who then let me steer for a short period while we were in mid river. To this day it is one of the biggest thrills of my life. The Captain even took a photograph of me at the wheel but, sadly, this was long before digital and he was clearly not used to handling a manual SLR - the picture was hopelessly underexposed and no use at all so I only have my memories together with the picture below which was taken that day on the first roll of 35mm film I ever exposed (scanned from the 30 year old negative).

Back to the present: as I waited to go down onto the landing stage at Woodside, I was puzzled to hear the sound of a foghorn from the direction of New Brighton. As you've seen, it was a beautifully sunny day. Once on the landing stage I could see why; a narrow bank of fog stretched across the mouth of the estuary with just the tops of the Seaforth dock wind turbines protruding. Just then, the Snowdrop swung out from Seacombe and headed towards us with the fog as a backdrop. I hadn't expected anything remotely dramatic but I was lucky enough to see this.

Good Light?

2011-03-06T03:49:00.000-08:00

I read an article in a magazine recently in which the author challenged the assertion that there is such a thing as 'good light' for photography. Essentially, his argument was that there is only 'different' light. In making his case, he mentioned a book written by an unnamed, well known photographer which, he said, had initially misled him to believe that 'good light' was all important. I found myself wondering whether he was referring to Joe Cornish's book 'First Light'. If that was the case then I suggest he re-reads the book because I think he's missed Joe's point entirely. That said, is he right?

There is no doubt that the well established principle that photographs (in particular, landscape photographs) benefit from the 'golden hours' - those periods around sunrise and sunset. It also cannot be argued that the dramatic lighting often seen as storms are breaking or clearing can make for an equally dramatic image. But, is he right - is all light good for something?

During half term, we were invited to spend a few days with friends in their holiday home in Anglesey. One of them is also a keen photographer so we made plans to go out for sunrise on the first morning. As we set out, I suspected we were in for a disappointing morning as there was heavy cloud cover and a strong, biting wind to contend with. Our intention had been to photograph at one of the many lovely bays to be found on the northern coast of the island but it quickly became clear that wasn't going to be worthwhile so we instead headed down to Moelfre harbour - a location that has worked well for me previously (see below).

On this occasion, however, the conditions were far from favourable so we decided to move on again, concluding that there was little hope of a decent photographic session and we might as well look for future locations. With this in mind, we headed over to the headland near Point Lynas and explored a little. The photograph below is the only exposure I made that morning. It was hand held (I couldn't be bothered setting my tripod up) and, consequently, lacks depth of field. It is no more than a record of the scene for future reference.

So, I would say that, on this particular morning, the light wasn't good for photography. It might not look so bad from the image above but that has been tweaked a little to give it some life. It was, without question, a miserable morning.

I wouldn't say his argument isn't without merit though. If I was to take it literally (as I think he possibly did in relation to the book he mentions), I would have to disagree. However, I think what he was really trying to say was that we shouldn't ignore the possibilities which exist even in non-dramatic light and that some subjects actually work better in those conditions. In this, he is absolutely right.

The following pictures were all made in bright but overcast conditions later that day. Not grim lighting as we'd experienced first thing.

In each case, the scene would have been less effective had it been lit by direct sunlight. It is very true that different subjects benefit from different lighting. It is also true that different light can create a very different mood in an image. The pictures below were taken from the same spot, at the same time of day, one day apart. They make for an interesting comparison but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which has the greater impact on you - and that's the beauty of photography!

Shell 4 Villages Half Marathon

2011-01-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

This post isn't about the landscape, light or for that matter about photography at all. This post is about my eldest daughter Kate who ran in the Shell 4 Villages Half Marathon last Sunday. Running a half marathon may not seem much of a feat to many people but it's something I have never done and it's something Kate had never done either - before last week. Kate is not a runner. At least, she wasn't before she made the decision in October to run in this annual race. I'm not exactly sure what initially prompted the decision to run but it was quickly followed by the idea to run in aid of Cancer Research in memory of her Grandmother (my Mum) who died of cancer in September.

Kate trained consistantly, even through the awful December, running in snow and ice. Unfortunately she picked up a strain about three weeks before the race and was unable to train after that. Consequently, come the day of the half marathon, the furthest Kate had run was 8 miles.

The 4 Villages is not the easiest race of it's type being a fairly hilly course and, of course, run at a time of year when the weather is often not good. On Sunday, however, the conditions were about as good as you could possibly hope for.

Kate finished the run in a really impressive time of 1 hr 55 mins and raised around £400 for cancer research. At the finish line, she was totally shattered and had to be held up. She was utterly determined to finish and I could not be more proud of her. I also know her Grandmother would be very, very proud of her too. I am also very grateful to our friend and neighbour L (1566 above) who ran with and encouraged Kate all the way.

2011-01-02T02:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a good start to my photographic year - I have an image published in the January issues of two photographic magazines. Of course, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a slight fear that it was more about peaking too early than a good start.

This photograph is featured in the Viewpoints section of Outdoor Photography. Sadly my suggestion for this part of the Clwydian Range didn't make it into the main Viewpoints and it is only reproduced as a very small picture but I going to be positive and regard it as a foot in the door. It's not the first attempt I've made at getting something into this magazine so it's good to have finally succeeded, even in such a small way.

The photograph was made in January of last year. I was able to make it into the Clwydian hills on the morning following a fresh and heavy snowfall. I spent a full day walking in the area, enjoying the most amazing conditions and, in the process, was able to make half a dozen images that I am really happy with.

This picture is published in the January edition of Professional Photographer magazine and is even more pleasing as it comes from being shortlisted for the Architecture category of their 2010 competition. The competition attracts entries worldwide so I can only be pleased with even getting close to winning.

In case you are wondering what this is of; it is the walkway between the multi-story car park and John Lewis at the Liverpool One shopping centre. I've been through it on many occasions but this was the fist time the sun was at just the right angle to complete the scene by casting shadows that echo the roof. I would like to be able to claim that I previsualised this on a previous visit but I'm afraid that would be a lie. It was pure, dumb luck that I was there at the right time.

A good start but the trick now is to build on that.

Walking WIth Dinosaurs

2010-12-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

I am a bit of a dinosaur. I've only just started blogging and still resist the lure of Facebook and Twitter. Similarly, I held out against digital photography for a long time and, even after I had purchased my first DSLR, I continued to be faithful to my much loved Mamiya ProTL. I only bought the DSLR because I was about to embark on a significant commission and I felt it would be good to have the comfort of certainty that I had some pictures in the proverbial bag.

Despite my continuing love of film, I never really engaged in the 'film vs digital' debate. By the time I had bought that first DSLR, I had accepted the inevitability of film's decline but I believed (and still do) that the two mediums can and will co-exist. However, looking back over this year, I realise that, for me, film is largely a thing of the past. For various reasons, I have done little in the way of photography in 2010 but what little I have done has been with a DSLR. The convenience digital imaging offers has proved to be the decisive factor.

I still think there is a quality about a medium format (or larger) transparency which you don't get with a digital file (I'm not talking scientifically) and I just love the way my Mamiya handles and the satisfying clunk of the shutter - but I've not made an exposure with it since January. I'm sure I will still continue to use it occasionally but it is no longer a permanent resident in my camera bag with the Nikon a mere interloper.

Despite this shocking (to me at least) revelation, I am still regarded a dinosaur. I try to remain true to my photographic roots; my aim is to get it right 'in camera' rather than rely on Photoshop to 'fix' things later and I still make relatively few exposures. I don't have any argument with those who like to experiment with software but my pleasure comes from making the photograph 'in the field' and I can think of few things worse than spending even more of my life in front of a computer screen. I also believe that the disciplined, more considered approach required when using film is more likely to yield better results than I would achieve if I were to abandon it. That said, there is no arguing that digital imaging has provided me with the opportunity to experiment a little more and that can't be a bad thing.

'Plants with Personality'

2010-11-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Photographing flowers and other plants should be easy, shouldn't it? After all, they don't move (except when windblown) and so, unlike wildlife, don't require stalking. What's more, they are all around. And yet, if you can't find a plant or composition that stands out in some way, what really is easy is to find yourself accumulating lots of very dull and uninspiring pictures. It may be that you don't have to stalk plants but it is certainly worthwhile spending some time to hunt out really good examples. That very accomplished nature photographer, Niall Benvie coined the perfect phrase to describe what I mean; 'plants with personality'. It is so perfect, I wish I had thought of it first. So, what is a plant with personality?

The photograph above was made during a recent trip to Scotland. I had just spent a very enjoyable hour or so at a large waterfall just outside Callendar and was on my way back to the car when I became distracted the ferns to the side of the path. After searching around for a while I came across a nice specimen which I devoted some time to before seeing this. Of course, what helps this picture is the fact that I was able to almost eliminate the background detail completely but it is the shape of the plant that really makes it stand out; the plant has real character. I never have got round to doing anything with the picture of the first fern that attracted me - it just didn't compare. Come to think of it, I don't even think I have yet got round to processing the waterfall pictures; for me, this became the most important image of the session.

The picture below is another good example. On this occasion, I did set out to photograph plants and had made the short journey to Ness Gardens on the Wirral Peninsula in hope of getting something from the late afternoon light. I was initially attracted by the translucent quality of the bamboo and felt there must be a picture worth making. However, it took me quite some time to find what I was looking for and that turned out to be one of the very few stalks which wasn't perfectly straight - again, the plant that had some 'personality'. All the time I was being savagely attacked by nasty, biting things which had come up from the nearby marshes to find fresh blood: Never let anyone say photographers don't have to suffer for their art!

Of course, just as with people, personality comes in many different forms. I'm gather that the fruit of the Strawberry Tree (below) can get you drunk but I promise I haven't experimented myself.

A Week in the Dales

2010-11-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Last week was half term and the opportunity for a much needed break with the family. Of course it is also an opportunity to explore and photograph a new area and these two things are not entirely compatible. We stayed in a very comfortable and well equipped cottage in the Wharfedale village of Conistone; a wonderful spot for walking and photography and, although the conditions were unexceptional for the most part, it was good to be able to find potential compositions within easy walking distance.

This panorama is the view from a small hill behind the village. It was taken shortly after sunrise and is the view northwards taking in the nearby village of Kilnsey with its dramatic crag.

Talking of drama, there are few more impressive geological sights than Malham Cove. The light is a little harsh on this photograph of the cove, it being early afternoon on a bright October day. Nonetheless, you get some sense of the scale of this natural limestone formation.

Of course, Malham Cove is believed to be the site of a large waterfall, created by a melting glacier. That would have been something to see but there are still some very picturesque falls in the area including those and Aysgarth and (pictured below) West Burton.

I first came across West Burton falls when passing through the area on the way to the opening night of a Joe Cornish exhibition at his gallery in Northallerton. That time it was early spring and the surrounding trees were still bare. Even then it was a lovely scene but I knew it must look even better with foliage on the trees and determined to revisit later in the year. The image above is the result.

The subject of 'smooth' water is a source of regular debate in photographic magazines. It seems to be one of those things that polarises opinion but I am very much in favour; for me it simply creates an appealing result in many cases. I consider photography to be an art form and art is always going to generate debate based on people's subjective views.

One unexpected treat was the discovery that our visit to Fountains Abbey near Ripon coincided with a special evening which involved the abbey being floodlit. If ever there was an excuse for getting the tripod out, this was it and the family were all very patient as I spent a happy hour and a half competing with the many other camera wielding visitors. Of course, I had to be patient myself, often waiting for quite some time for people to move out of the way.

It was worth waiting for though as a nearly full moon was perfectly placed to add to the atmosphere. When I was setting up to take the photograph below, my father struck up a conversation with one of the guides who said that, in 16 years of working there, she had never before seen this combination of floodlit abbey and alignment of the moon. The only way I can think this scene could be improved would be if it had come together a little earlier when there was still some colour in the sky. You can see the difference that makes from the picture above.

The only downside to a very enjoyable evening was to find myself the apparent and unwitting competitor with another photographer with similar equipment (i.e. tripod and reasonably high end camera). I first thought his partner's continued presence in my composition was accidental but a sly glance round at me and no subsequent movement made me think otherwise. She only moved when I finally gave up, packed up and walked away - watched by the woman and her photographer partner.