Second-hand Images

In this blog post I will explore some second-hand photography pieces that I'm interested in or find inspiring, I will aim to analyse them while also discussing why I find them interesting or inspiring.

Simon Roberts Brighton West Pier, East Sussex, April

This photo is simple in form but bares an almost nostalgic feel. The soft white wash along with the choice of location bring about a dream like quality. My eye falls to the off centred pier (remains) to the right, this adds interest to the work as suggested by David Prakel, as the composition is not following a "normal" symmetrical structure. I think I enjoy this work because of the atmosphere it creates, I am embedded in memories of my own childhood visits to the beach and that is why this picture is strong to me. 

Laura Makabresku 'The Hospital' (2017) 

This image differs from the others I have choice as it is staged, this however does not make it lesser to the other shots. The work has a preformative look, but the tone is not lost through this, the blue/cold light help to give a melancholy winters feel to the work. The use of the foreground (the girl and birds) in focus and the background (out of the window) out of focus help to establish the key elements of the work, letting us know the photographer wants us to take not of the girl in relation to her surroundings. As the work is staged there is an importance, as suggested by David Prakel, in the props used and location, deeper thought may be put in into the use of the birds and the placement of the girl in front of the window. As suggested by Prakel each element in a photo should be key and needed or the image will be over cluttered and lacking in depth. 

Alexey Titarenko 'Railyway Station' (1993)

This black and white photo has a sense of movement and atmosphere, as the slow shutter speed allows for the movement of the train and people to be visible. The overall tone is melancholy and human as the subjects are no supreme or spectacular but normal, yet there is a freshness to this take of an everyday activity. The candid figures help the viewer to enter the scene and feel the breeze of the train as it passes by. I enjoy this piece because of it's simplicity, it is not colourful or dramatic instead it is human and atmospheric.

 
Graham Colling 'A Stroll on Shoal Hill'

This image shows a figure in the mist, walking a dog. It captures the beauty and power of light as the warmth is mixed with a gorgeous fog. Colling's writes " I did quickly have to push up the ISO and open up the aperture to achieve a sharp outline on the man and his dogs. I'd initially got it on ISO 64, f/13 at 1/3rd of a second", these techniques allowed for a crisp silhouette to contrast against the mist. I really enjoy this work as it again reminds me of childhood walks in the forest by my house. The lighting is something I really enjoy as I believe it adds a dream like quality to the work in which I admirer.

From looking at these images I have become aware of what I am drawn to as a viewer as well as the techniques I could use in my own work. I enjoy images that set up a story, that ties in my own memories and emotions to overall being about a feeling of melancholia or nostalgia.