C H R O M A T I C V I S T A

CLOUD 9

2012-03-05T11:37:00.004+10:30

Part of FAIRGROUND SERIES - I had been working on a group of images intermittently for a few weeks, not realising that they would form the basis for a series. Most of the subjects were brightly coloured as is usually the case in fairgrounds and amusement parks - obviously to first attract one's eye and then the money. I wanted to reduce the colour and experimented with a semi-documentary style with much of the colour reduced or removed, but still retaining a subtle impact. Removing the colour also reduced the distractions and allowed the detail and visual narrative to come forward in a clearer way. This technique set the pattern for most of the images although the emphasis of colour is slightly different in each. My intention and the general outcome is a sinister and almost macabre appearance, not the usual fun feeling associated with such places and subjects.

This image is dedicated to the late ex-Beatle George Harrison. 'Cloud 9' is one of his songs that appeals to me.

BIG SKY

2012-03-05T11:25:00.000+10:30

Taken at a local cemetary which is a rich source of photographic material. It's always quiet there except for the occasional plaintive cry of a crow or a flock of galahs as they wing their way overhead - the latter screeching to each other.

UPWARDLY MOBILE

2011-12-29T07:47:00.002+10:30

I had been working on a group of images intermittently for a few weeks, not realising that they would form the basis for a series. Most of the subjects were brightly coloured as is usually the case in fairgrounds and amusement parks - obviously to first attract one's eye and then the money. I wanted to reduce the colour and experimented with a semi-documentary style with much of the colour reduced or removed, but still retaining a subtle impact. Removing the colour also reduced the distractions and allowed the detail and visual narrative to come forward in a clearer way. This technique set the pattern for most of the images although the emphasis of colour is slightly different in each. My intention and the general outcome has a sinister and almost macabre appearance, not the usual fun feeling associated with such places and subjects. [link] to Fairground Series.

HASTINGS JETTY

2011-11-23T09:39:00.007+10:30

Jetty and bait shop in the quiet seaside town of Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Settlement of the area dates from the 1840s, with fishing being the main industry. It was a dull day but I was determined to take a few shots.

RURAL GOTHIC

2011-10-15T12:13:00.009+10:30

The high pitched roof and timber stays in this derelict farm building reminded me of the height accentuation and flying buttresses often used in Gothic cathedrals. Another from 'The Luminous Landscape' series - see below. This image was taken on Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.

DINOSAUR VALLEY

2011-10-13T16:25:00.008+10:30

Covering a broad swathe of southern and eastern Alberta, the Canadian Badlands are a unique place for exploration and photography. Eons of compressed sea deposits have been carved by glaciation and subsequent erosion into a striking landscape of strangely sculpted formations and rolling prairies bisected by deep gulches and river valleys. Dinosaur Provincial Park where these images were taken is well known for being one of the greatest dinosaur fossil beds in the world. I didn't discover any dinosaurs bones but did find some beauty in the eroded shapes and cloud formations.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

2011-10-12T15:22:00.007+10:30

Architecture is where you find it. It is to do with the designing of buildings and structures, but in its broader meaning it also includes the design of our complete built environment. It can be found in outback areas, on mountain peaks, almost anywhere on the land, even on the sea in the form of oil rigs and it surrounds us in our places of abode. We tend to take architecture for granted and complain when its appeareance doesn't suit our taste. It provides us with shelter, places to work, and gives us points of reference in our urban wilderness, but most important of all, it provides a fundamental basis for the way we live. Architecture is ephemeral and can be a thing of great beauty. Its elements are often pillaged and used as building blocks by successive generations. Past civilizations are sometimes known through their achievements in architecture and certain works have become cultural, political and artistic icons. They are my thoughts on the subject anyway.
Presumably a family once lived in this little house at Fort Steele, British Columbia. It now stands derelict and isolated, yet it seems to exist as a monument to the toil of hard working rural people anywhere. This image is a tonal edit of a previous post which was captured during the summer of 2008 towards the end of a photographic journey through the Canadian Rockies - that's them in the backgound.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

2011-10-12T10:23:00.003+10:30

The Murray River at Murray Bridge, South Australia. Due to bad water management at Federal and State level, many farmers who rely upon this source for irrigation are not receiving proper water quotas even though the river is now in flood. As a result of the long term drought and this latest fiasco, some farmer's have faced bankruptcy and left the land.

INDUSTRIAL DISEASE

2011-10-12T10:17:00.002+10:30

Both ends of an old industrial complex built on a hill. Although possibly a blight on the landscape, old industrial architecture can provide a very photogenic and challenging subject. The overcast sky helped in getting the grunge effect I was after here.

DESOLATION ROW

2011-10-12T09:09:00.002+10:30

The main street of a mid-northern country town in South Australia - like many old country towns in Australia, they contain architectural legacies from past eras - some are crumbling ruins while others have been restored and preserved by susbsequent owners. This building is a defunct service (gas) station which has been obsolete for a few years and the town no longer has one.

CONCRETE GARDEN

2011-10-11T21:25:00.007+10:30

The Southern Plaza of the Adelaide Festival Centre in South Australia was completed in March 1977, comprising a then-controversial environmental sculpture by West German artist Otto Hajek. This image depicts a small part of the massive and colourful work. Although there are plans afoot to revamp the plaza, hopefully some of the remaining sculpture will be retained.

PAINTING WITH LIGHT

2011-09-23T17:47:00.007+09:30

Photography really is all about images painted with light. To state the obvious, without light present in an image there would be no image. Whether natural or artificial, the effect of light falling within the camera is the single most important aspect of film or digital photography. The direction, quality and intensity of light can assist the photographer in creating mood, atmosphere, emotion and also the illusion of three dimensionality in an otherwise flat medium.

The distant bridge is the one referred to in the post below and the image was shot from Goolwa Wharf on the Murray River in South Australia.

BRIDGING THE LANDSCAPE

2011-09-12T12:43:00.017+09:30

Bridge over the Murray River between Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, South Australia. Although it was an overcast day, the light was bright and diffused and offered good photo opps on the wharf below the bridge. I chose the best of three shots and processed it to accentuate the clouds and the subtle sheen on the water.

THE LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE

2011-09-11T18:28:00.007+09:30

A group of derelict farm buildings on Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. It was an overcast day but I wanted to shoot them from different angles, including the interiors. They were all vacant except for a community of pigeons that had taken over - they scattered, flew up, re-grouped and circled while I was present. I liked the character of the vernacular, rustic architecture, now in weathered tatters, so I spent quite a while trying different angles. The low level and eveness of light available on overcast days can be a bonus for digital photography because highlights and contrasts are minimal. Exposures are not as demanding for sensors, allowing for greater scope for processing raw data and subsequent processing.

These shots were originally edited in full colour, but I soon realised that they worked better, producing a more timeless feeling and stark appearance when converted to duotones.