The recent demolotion and clearing of a site alongside Digbeth High Street has offered some interesting views of the City Centre.
I was coming past this area a couple of days ago in the early morning and spotted the geese in the grassy ‘field’ in the city centre. I thought the early morning light just after sunrise would be a good time to take some images with the geese in their urban setting. When I came back to photo there were only 6 geese but then a flock of about 20 came buzzing in to save the day. I’m still going through them to work out the best ones.
It was nice to go back yesterday to take some more photographs, even though only for a short time. I felt I’d lost a bit of contact with the gardens but was very quickly entranced by the quality of the light. Shame I had to leave so early. I’m looking forwards to going soon with my new camera which should arrive tomorrow. I’ve been getting more and more obsessed with the sharpness in my images since the cataract operation in January. The new camera will hopefully help me deal with my obsession.
Lowestoft. Working on a set of images of East England landscape which reflect on the horizon in the landscape.
Playing a little with long exposures. This is a sunrise on Caister Beach, one of a few variations. More on my Flickr.
I had a voucher for a book so decided to collect some landscape images not normally included on my website.
Please follow the link and I hope you enjoy the photos…
https://as.photoprintit.com/web/85012611/showPublishedPhotoBook.do?ehash=8056a435fdc24f694794759facdeadb4&skipSessionTimeout
Some of my favourite photographs from the project include objects in a setting: pottery pieces, watering cans, buildings and furniture. These mix together man-made and natural forms. The juxtaposition is quite poignant for me and reflect my experience of a well-managed natural space with evidence of usage – gardening and activities (pottery and the play area).
I am interested in taking photographs show process – things in transition as the seasons change and time progresses. Seedlings that were under fleece early in the year have become plants for sale or are in the ground developing well, flowers have become to appear in proliferation. The objects become symbolic and reflect the various activities in the gardens, underpinned by the more natural forms.
I was looking at what I’ve done at Martineau so far and wondering / reviewing my experience of the gardens
I have photographed a lot of natural landscapes over the past few years and continue to do so, particularly at Norfolk. Photographing at Martineau Gardens it is very different from my experience of being in the landscape. Everything is considered, even the wildlife area. While photographing I am very aware of the care and attention given to the space in terms of planting and presenting a range of areas for people (and wildlife) to enjoy.
I realise that most of the countryside is managed and there are very few rugged and truly wild areas left. I think it is the concentration here, and the scale of the different areas that makes the difference. The transition between managed and wild is very small indeed.
Nature at Martineau Gardens is very well nurtured
I always start a photo visit to the gardens with some trepidation, today was no exception. I visited last week and had a great afternoon. I met an old friend who was there for a party but didn’t manage to get the focus I needed to get the best out of the experience, although a few are OK. Today I felt I needed to produce some good images to make up for lost time, but worried I could not go deep enough after the last visit. I had purchased a new lens recently and last week was also about getting to know it and learn how to get the best out of it.
During a break my worries were lessened. The beauty of the gardens draws me in. I start taking photographs and am constantly thinking about composition, exposure etc. After a while I am just responding, camera and technique forgotten. For me Martineau is a place of reverie and wonder, a mixture of natural and the work of people who use it and also work here. Beautiful pieces of pottery made at the workshop mingle with natural forms. Chairs and watering cans (there’s a lot of them here) give spaces in the gardens a feeling of occupation.
I find that an hour or more has gone by and I’ve been photographing in just a small space of the gardens. I need to venture wider, maybe starting in a different place in future visits.
