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A question of Style

  • dobbiemark1509
  • Jul 13
  • 3 min read

For the most part, I take landscape images. If asked what I take photographs of, my reply is generally 'the landscape'. I could never get bored of mountains, waterfalls, sunsets and sunrises, but sometimes, it feels good to try new things: new styles of photography, new subjects and trying different techniques. Placing yourself in a specific photographic genre can subconsciously restrict your thought process and recently I have been thinking about that quite a lot. Increasingly, I have wanted to branch out and just take photographs that I like, that inspire me or capture a moment.


I recently went on a trip to France: A long weekend specifically to watch the 'classic' motor racing at Le Mans. Now this is something that I love and older cars being driven hard, on a truly iconic circuit appeals to my sense of nostalgia for more simple times of 'gentlemen' racers (there were very few 'lady' racers back in the 1950's and 60's: Pat Moss being a rare exception) and cars that I recognise for their individuality and beauty.


However, there is more to this weekend for me. A chance to spend a weekend with one of my best buddies, the journey itself; especially the ferry. Driving on the other side of the road and an opportunity to experience a slightly different culture: I also like France a lot. The whole experience is exciting to me: arriving at Portsmouth to catch the ferry still feels like an adventure and is just the start! Something I want to capture the spirit of.

The Spinnaker and Portsmouth Dock just after setting sail....the Royal Navy parking one of their boats along the quayside
The Spinnaker and Portsmouth Dock just after setting sail....the Royal Navy parking one of their boats along the quayside

From a moving boat and in in the dark presents challenges, but when you get it right with the camera; the results can be really satisfying
From a moving boat and in in the dark presents challenges, but when you get it right with the camera; the results can be really satisfying

As we embark on our journey, the camera is immediately out of the bag and I am looking for interesting compositions and images to create from the deck of the ship. Night photography is always enjoyable for me, but made more challenging by the movement of the sea. It is easy to capture this movement unintentionally, so understanding how to avoid it is useful. Equally true is understanding how to induce movement in a creative way to achieve a desired result.

Intentional Camera movement to capture a different view of The Spinnaker. Not to everyone's taste I am sure, but I rather like the effect.
Intentional Camera movement to capture a different view of The Spinnaker. Not to everyone's taste I am sure, but I rather like the effect.

A walk around Le Mans itself the evening before the racing started found me looking at scenes in the town and images that in my head were likely to be best interpreted in monochrome. For some reason, I am often able to imagine a scene in Black and White as I am taking it, so it helps guide my choices of camera setting when taking these images. Just wandering around and spontaneously pointing the camera at compositions that enter my head is liberating and in a way, the opposite to the more considered approach when photographing the landscape. I love the immediacy of it.






Street scenes and architecture
Street scenes and architecture
Not quite monochrome.....I was drawn to the muted foreground colours contrasting with the red of the paintwork on the rather appropriately names shop and accentuated the contrast
Not quite monochrome.....I was drawn to the muted foreground colours contrasting with the red of the paintwork on the rather appropriately names shop and accentuated the contrast

I am somewhat self conscious about photographing 'people' as it feels intrusive, but it is a genre of photography that I would like to do more of: overcoming that sense of being a little voyeuristic isn't easy for me though.

Hopefully not too intrusive
Hopefully not too intrusive

As a photographer, it is easy to get trapped into taking images that are your own 'style', but liberating yourself from the shackles of one genre or type of photograph is both fun and creative. Looking at the world through a different lens so to speak feels liberating and exciting.


The racing was still to look forward to.........

An empty Le Mans circuit in the pouring rain - between Mulsanne and Arnage
An empty Le Mans circuit in the pouring rain - between Mulsanne and Arnage
Glowing brake discs and one of the most iconic Le Mans cars of all time - the Ford GT40
Glowing brake discs and one of the most iconic Le Mans cars of all time - the Ford GT40

 
 
 

1 Yorum


phil1663
13 Tem

Love some of the b&w shots Mark. I like ICM and that one is fab as are the other shots of the Spinnaker.

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