Landscape in Winter
The following images have been collected over the months of December, January, February and March, due to the prolonged wintry weather of this year. There were many frustratingly grey and drear days but also some sparkling encouraging days when the limiting factor was not the light but the cold. Because of the personal nature of this Assignment I will allude to why I took the photo as well as giving the technical information about the camera and the connection with the Design elements I have been studying in the Coursework. These images are not in chronological order but rather as a set of 4 lines of 3 balancing colour and subjects.
Oak Tree
The oak tree on the right surprised me by having so much golden leaf so late in the year. Whilst all the other trees were all but bare, the contrasting colour of the foliage of this one positively glowed against the blue sky of that bright winter's day accentuated by the golden light of the low sun.
Maize in Winter
The maize shown is planted every year for wildlife and pheasants. It is left to stand until early Spring when it is mown and in due course, replanted. In February the cobs are completely empty and have served their purpose. They stalks still stand erect and golden in the afternoon sun. This is an example of framing the view differently, from the image of maize 2 photos down. A different lens was used giving a different perspective and emphasis.
Snow Fire
Snow had fallen! I followed some smoke I could see and found a bonfire slowly burning and the owner walking away into the distance. Snow and flames seemed so incongruous and the disappearing figure added to the story. The excitement of the world transformed by snow led me to explore and the smoke led me to this point. Surprise and a little mystery are part of this image.
Ploughed Field
Shooting towards the sun has caused the haze in this image. As I looked at this scene, I enjoyed the zig-zag effect of the lines of the gentle hills and the contrast of the side lit grass and the rich ploughed field.
Frost on Maize
Early on a February morning the maize field was covered by frost, some sparkling in the sun. The stalks stood in lines like tired soldiers whilst the sun cast diagonal shadows from one to another. A wide angled lens allowed a wide view of the field and taking from a relatively low viewpoint avoided the problem of converging verticals.
Inside the Woods
The chaos of nature. Although this wood is typically untidy, I was drawn to it by the light falling through the trees, unfettered by the canopy. I am aware that, should I attempt to use this location for subsequent seasons, I may be disappointed. I tried to visualise the spring - pale green Beech tree foliage, the summer - a great deal of undergrowth under a dark canopy, in the autumn however the vivid colours of falling Beech leaves. This is one to watch.
Orchard
I chose to photograph this orchard because of the strong shapes of the picking boxes in the foreground. The neat lines of the planted fruit trees give a pleasing symmetry to this view of the field. I regret that I did not find a way to make the camera a little higher in order to accentuate the recession of the tree lines. I also hope that this location might yield interesting seasonal images. When I revisit it I will consider changing my viewpoint and if necessary take a ladder or climb on a gate.
Receding Poplars
Encouraged by Tony Worobiec's book "Night and Low-light Photography" see bibliography, in which he states there is no such thing as poor light for photography and that some of the most exciting photographic opportunities arise in "bad" weather, (p.g. 67) I set out to photograph this stand of trees. This is a location I have photographed several times in the past but I found the thick mist added something to the picture which had been missing before. The flat light and dull colours sum up a different feel of winter and contrasts with some of the more cheerful images above.
Snow on the Coast
Although it was the second week of March, I witnessed snow lying on the coastal fields in Dorset. The partial snow cover has softened the colours in the landscape. Although the light was flat, the whole scene was brightened by the partial layer of lying snow. The intensity of the reflected light should be recognized. A week later I was travelling by motorway and I thought I was about to go into a sunlit region. To my surprise, there was a small area of a few miles which was completely whitened by snow. The increase in light was striking. As I left the snowy area there was a further surprising change of light. I made note that this is a feature to take into account in future winter photography.
Lavender Lines
This view of lavender fields in winter was almost monochromatic so I chose to convert it to black and white. There was a fast moving sky which meant that pockets of sunlight appeared and quickly disappeared changing the appearance of the lavender.
Sunset Tree
A red sky at night, shepherd's delight is the saying. However a red sky at sunset in the winter often means a frost will follow at dawn. The shape of the tree initially attracted me to photograph this scene. I find the small tree on the right adds to the picture as one visually travels from the large one to the small one.
Snow Lines
This image was also almost black and white when in colour so conversion seemed to accentuate the patterns made by the agricultural machinery in the stubble.