Delighted that the team at Bean and Brew, a lovely café here in Wallingford, have given me wall space to display - and hopefully sell - various photographic prints. I’ve a prime wall too, right at the entrance. I have to say that the prints look wonderful framed. Another local business, Oxfordshire Prints , have done a fine job in framing them.
Just a few short days in the Peak District; a trip over too quickly. Has to be one of the most beautiful places in the UK.. and led to a photographic revival for me after many weeks of not taking a photo! The images below are panoramic in format, either cropped to size or formed from several images.
It is not really necessary to stitch images together; but I find it results in a certain look that I find pleasing. Plus it gives a wider field of view when it comes to cropping and adjusting in photoshop.
Edge of a field, River Wye, Ashford-in-the-Water
River Wye, Ashford-in-the-Water
A photo-challenge from the mighty Libby… “three images connected by colour or shape”.
So a wander around my home town with zero planning beforehand. In the rain too. I began by looking at puddles, the reflections and the rings made by the raindrops but they weren’t really fulfilling the brief… connected yes but not by colour or a shape. Then I began looking at the double yellow lines that dominate most of the roads around my flat. And this remained the focus of the remainder of my walk - various yellow lines. There was a telegraph pole with a support wire painted yellow for example… and plenty of road markings in various shapes of yellow.
From the 40 odd images taken I settled on a handful to process and spent a while looking for the best crop and which images worked together. But things were not playing out correctly. Even more so after leaving them for a day to view with fresh eyes. A second shoot was required. This time a firmer plan - keeping to the horizontal stripes idea but also looking for the colours of the Ukrainian flag…
Delighted to announce that a selection of the Fine Art Flower prints are available as cards. Should be perfect for Mother’s Day but they are blank inside for your own message so suitable for any use. There are six different designs to choose from plus a mixed pack of 5… Available to order from the Online Print Shop.
Fine Art Flower Cards
Just added to the online store - three new fine art prints… flowers don’t yer know. Tulips, a mixed bouquet and pastel pink roses.
Not the best weather if I am honest, for landscape photography. A spur of the moment decision to head to the coast, camera in hand. No planning, no consulting tide-tables or working out where the sun would rise… some vague ideas for some ICM work along the ‘beach’… but there was no beach, just rocks and event he dull weather didn’t provide any crashing waves…
But fun was had walking the coast, cursing when the sun made a momentary break through the clouds to provide some wonderful light when I was far removed from anything worth photographing and stressing when a rainbow materialised across the bay… but I did take along some ND filters to allow for long exposures. I’ve always been interested in panoramas and managed to complete a couple that are far from award-winning but gave me pleasure in creating them.
Tides Out
Distant Rain Shower
Harbour Entrance
I was delighted yesterday to have viewed and recorded the Fabric of Photography exhibition in Oxford. This multi-artist exhibition was organised and curated by the highly talented Megan Ringrose. It is a fascinating collection of work using alternative processes from 12 different practitioners. If you have any interest in photography or art in general I highly recommend a visit.
Head to the Old Fire Station near the bus station in central Oxford. The Fabric of Photography Exhibition is running until the 13th October 2021. Further details on the show with links to each of the artists can be seen at https://www.fabricofphotography.com/
The exhibition focuses on the work of contemporary photographic artists who are increasingly inspired by the pioneering historical processes and physicality of photography. These artists strip back photography to its absolute fundamental elements: material, light, and process. They explore the ‘thingness’ of photography.
The exhibition brings together artists who are interested in the fundamentals of photography especially with regards to historical methods and thinking about photography within a fine art context. They explore the materiality of the photograph through experimentation with analogue photographic techniques in particular. They are mindful of material redundancy and the need to reconnect to old processes to create new contemporary works.
As with the Washing Line Series, some of the Kitchen Scales images work better than others. Raw Sausages might be great as an advertisement in a butchers but not so desirable on a kitchen calendar perhaps. One comment I have received is that, while technically good, the Scales series does not demonstrate the same level of quirkiness as seen in my other still life work.
As with all sets of photographs they develop and mature with each addition and adapt to criticism and feedback. Some work, others don’t. I’m hoping this ice-cream image brings back a little of the quirkiness; it’s the latest addition to the series.
It took a few attempts to get it right. Initially, I was after an ice-cream cone that you get from the vans at the seaside. A highly whipped soft ice cream which, obviously, has to have a flake in it. I don’t live near the sea and I haven’t seen a van in town like, ever. So an attempt was made using whipped double cream piped into place as an attempt to replicate the soft waves seen in the originals.
I wasn’t sure it worked. A talented photography friend agreed and put their finger right on it; the cream doesn’t look wet enough. Looking at it today it just resembles shaving foam rather than ice cream! I resorted to ‘normal’ ice cream, the actual stuff, a soft scoop from the local supermarket. ‘Wetness’ was there, important as it needed to look slightly melted, for drips.
The next issue my friend pointed out in the second image was the size/scale of the flake. It’s huge and looks like it is just there propping up the cone. In a real ‘99’ the flake is half-sized. At this point, the cone and its contents had been consumed and the set-up cleaned. Really liked the arrangement of the ice cream and its drip though and lacking time to restyle the whole still life I resorted to a little play in photoshop.
Another flake was chopped in half and photographed on the scales at pretty much the same angle as the original. Photoshop was then used to mask out the old one. I don’t think you can tell.
Some good comments received over this image. It is available as a print on Etsy.
Now I just have to ensure the level of ‘quirkiness’ is maintained.
There isn’t much left of Wallingford Castle; a moat type ditch, a couple of minor walls plus plenty of bumps and mounds. This morning, in the first decent day of weather for an age, I took a wander along the Thames and into the castle grounds. The intention was to take a few macro shots of the buttercups that are smothering the fields at the moment so I only took the ageing 24-105mm lens and a reversing ring. The closeups are fine, I’ll post a couple perhaps, but this panorama I rather liked.
It is formed from five stitched images and heavily cropped top and bottom.
I admit it is not the greatest landscape image, not helped by the sub-par quality of the lens but I find it pleasing. I should also note that the sky was replaced via the new sky replacement filter in photoshop.
I brief walk yesterday in the rain and strong winds. I had to get out of the flat for some fresh air and away from the computer screen.
In addition to finding some wild garlic - which I did'’t get to use in a photo before eating - a gnarly, twisted twig fell into my path which I knew would make for a good subject. It seems I am building up a little series of flower/foliage images… I rather like the simplicity and delicacy of this image. I’ve gone for a 4x5 crop rather than my usual square format as I felt the extra space was around the subject was required.
Received word this morning that my panel for the Royal Photographic Society Fellowship award is to be featured during an online discussion of the awards. They have even used the Sausages picture on the information page. Well nice.
The Distinction discussion is to take place on the 8th of May 2021. Over 400 people have registered to watch. There doesn’t seem to be any indication that the event is to be recorded so I may just pop in myself to see exactly what they have to say about the panel!
One of my own ‘criticisms’ is that my images verge on the dark, moody end of the scale. It’s just me I guess… an inherent style, that my eye just prefers. I marvel at those who produce images that are light and airy. Just scrolling through my Instagram feed highlights plenty of fantastic photographers and image-makers that seem to manage this lighter, softer style with little effort.
Having just purchased a Gerbera for a little gift to my sister when I visit later this week, I thought I would at least try and get an image in a lighter style. This is the result…
For a change, I turned the camera to some fresh flowers. Three bunches for £3 brought mid-week; by the weekend in full bloom. Narcissus have been suggested a couple of times over the last few weeks by a member of the family to add variety to the Kitchen Scales series. I fully intended to put them on one of the eight(!) vintage scales I have now accumulated. But I just couldn’t get a pleasing arrangement.
In keeping with the Kitchen Scales series, it is a simple setup, just flowers in a pot. But I rather like its simplicity, I have uploaded the photo to Etsy… For this image, I have set a print limit of just 20.
Unsure of how many entries there were into the 2021 Pink Lady Food Photography Competition, 10,000 or some such, but only 800 of these were shortlisted.
Rather chuffed that two of my images made it to the shortlist. They didn’t, sadly, make it through to the finalist selection. I entered just four images this year, and neither of my Wine Produce images were selected! A travesty if you ask me ;-)
My two finalist images are the Iced Lemon Cake in the Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture section and a Triptych I put together from the Washing Line project in the Fujifilm Award for Innovation section.
Iced Lemon Cake - Finalist Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture
Washing Line Triptych - Finalist Fujifilm Award for Innovation
From the kitchen ‘man draw’, I retrieved a screwdriver and simply removed the cradle from the red kitchen scales. For those who know me personally having me actually owning a screwdriver might come as a surprise… but there it was. Still in its original packaging…
The oversized red scales look lovely but the cradle and tray is large enough to hold a small child and proved impossible to use in the Kitchen Scales series of food pictures. Removing part of it means it doesn’t work as a scale anymore but I don’t think that matters in terms of being a photo prop.
For the first image, I went with Sausages from my local butcher. They are simple herby sausages, they call them Farmhouse Sausages, and are a firm favourite. I just used a tray from one of the other scales and am rather pleased with the result.
Having uploaded the image to Instagram and put the print up for sale on Etsy, if the background is a bit ‘muddy’ and I should have gone for a cleaner green texture…
Sausages on Red Kitchen Scales.
The Kitchen Scales series is progressing well. The intention is to construct two calendars - one focusing on fruit and vegetables, a meat-free version if you like, while the other has a mix of fresh produce and meat/fish and so on.
I was reading a little inspirational book the other day, one targeted at photographers and artists. One passage jumped out at me “There’s an intuition that you only gain through the repetition of practice”. It struck home as I struggled to use that large red kitchen scales in an image.
It just was not working. I couldn’t get the angle right, the tray positioned so the 16 (!) hot crossed buns inside displayed as I wanted. Intuition told me it just was not going to work.
I had to prop the tray up at the back so the rull array of buns was fully visible. But in doing that the tray became detached from the scales supports. To hide this I slide the camera along seeing that the little and would fix the issue in photoshop. But no, intuition kicked in and I abandoned the idea.
Actually I abandoned the scales rather than the idea by replacing them with a different set. A few test shots later - trying to get balance with buns outside the weighing tray - and I was happy. The final image is now up on Etsy. Hot Cross Buns on Vintage Kitchen Scales by AndrewBarrowPhotos https://etsy.me/2Qto8iv
Yesterday I described my EBay spree on acquiring several different vintage scales. I had five on the shelves and, in fact, had already used each in a photo. This number would give me plenty of options for the series of images I had planned. I even checked EBay to ensure I had no further bids that would result in more such scales arriving.
Then two more were delivered.
I had no idea I had been so extravagant (aka reckless). Am I really the only person with an interest in these things that no one else bid on them?
The first to be delivered was a nice little creamy yellow number. Not certain the dish is original but it matters not. (The Comet Scales I used for the doughnut shot is obviously missing its plastic tray. But this doesn’t matter as it would obscure the contents inside I think).
It is the second new set of scales I am having problems with. I seem to have underestimated its size. The tray is more like a coal-scuttle! I imagine it was used for scooping large quantities of flour or seeds or something. But it is huge. I have no idea how I am going to be able to utilise it in a photo!
I could drill a hole in the back of the tray and use it as a plant holder. But this rather defeats the point of buying it…
The photos below are all unprocessed. I’ve included one of my little studio for those who enjoy seeing ‘behind the scenes’. One moan, however - the sender of the red scales used a huge amount of packing tape and stuck it directly to the scales. On peeling, even gently, the tape removed the gorgeous red paint.
Enjoyed a little eBay indulgence last week. Seemed to have ended up with five different kitchen scales. All are old and battered as I was after a certain vintage kitchenalia vibe. If I am honest I only wanted one or two of these sales; NO IDEA how I ended up with five… I’ve just checked eBay to ensure I haven’t bid on any more!
Now they are all here I have enjoyed a few hours of using them combined with various food items. Some didn’t work - spinach for example looked like wilted weeds pulled from a central reservation. But the ones below I am happy with.
Production is similar to my other studio work, but I’m using a flash rather than natural light. Small flash and a huge softbox. The ability to move the light so it wraps around the subject is vital here when compared with the natural light of, say, the Washing Line images.
One thing I did learn from submitting the Washing Line images to the RPS for the Fellowship is that the subject must be instantly recognisable. Spinach didn’t. Doughnuts, flour, lemons and the rest do.
I have also dipped my toe into the world of Etsy selling and have added these to my new store. Would be lovely if someone made a purchase! Food Related Fine Art Photography Prints by AndrewBarrowPhotos (etsy.com)
What does a photographer do to say thanks when given cake? Take a photo and hand over a print!
In this case it was two cakes within a week. One family, two cakes. First was a delicious marbled Walnut Cake, followed, a few days later by a light but moist and perfectly Iced Lemon cake. I hope both the young bakers enjoy the prints as much I enjoyed the cake! Thank you to both.
Walnut Cake