home on the range...

According to BJP writer Jonathan Eastland, there is no better camera than a rangefinder for shooting the human condition and everything in-between. According to a recent article of his on the photography giant's website: "They still can't be beaten for candid shots", (you can view the full article here: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/opinion/1934356/home-range) 

So, I decided to take Jonathan up on this. Armed with a Canon Canonet QL-19 rangefinder I recently obtained (curtsey of my girlfriend) I hit the streets of Falmouth for some good old fashioned street photography.

Things did not get off to a good start, however. The transparent image which one moves using the calibrated wheel on the lens has severely faded on this model due to age; this made focusing somewhat of a challenge as all I could see was a minute square in the centre of the frame on which to focus. To make matters worse, as I got in to town I discovered that the camera's meter had also deteriorated severely, even after purchasing a new battery cell. So, with a rangefinder which was practically nigh on impossible  to focus, and a light meter which constantly told me I was over-exposing , I was ready to begin. Aren't analogue camera's fun? 

It had been quite some time since I had last indulged in street photography, so at first things were a little bit rusty. As I made my way through the streets of Falmouth I felt the damning eyes of the public fall on me and my camera once again ; I could almost hear the thoughts of condemnation from every mother with her child and every OAP with their dog as they blamed me and my camera for everything that is unjust in this world, as if  at any moment I was about to throw my camera down and kidnap their child or, in the case of the grandma, her Westie.

That aside, I found that I had missed partaking in a bit of street photography, and what ensued was an enjoyable little shoot on a sunny winter's day. I find it interesting how people always think that I am using my camera for sinister and nefarious ways... An argument for another time.

the old man on the pier shot

the old woman in the street shot

Ryan in his wood cutting shop near the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth.

I cam across Ryan as I was wandering around town. He runs a small wood cutting shop which is attached the front of his house, selling souvenirs, puzzles and picture frames to any willing tourists.

Apologies for the graininess of these images, but as the meter on the camera was broken, and as I had no hand-held meter, the images needed quite a bit of work on Photoshop to bring out some contrast and tone. As this was just a test shoot I wasn't particularly bothered with the outcome, and in fact I quite like the shots of Ryan in his workshop - why did I not photograph him for The Person at Work?

As my vogue moved from old people to the soft light emanating from the setting sun, I made my way down to Gyllyngvase Beach to capture some wonderful  'people on the beach during a sunset'  shots... 

Gyllyngvase Road

This picture would be right at home in a hipster's "my favourite photography" shoebox

A brave, brave sole prepairs to face the Atlantic with just a wet suit and testicles made of iron ore.

A kayak instructor being accosted by a pair of beach ramblers.

As you can probably tell, all was going swimmingly. Until this happened:

A clusterfuck of photography. 

Upon processing the film, it became apparent that half way through the shoot my camera decided to give up on normal image making, and instead focused its efforts on producing images which looked more like a fine art photographer's third-year thesis. Nonetheless, the effect is mildly entertaining and, I suppose, typical of the charming personality for which beaten up film cameras are known... or something.

I think this old rangefinder is in need of some TLC.

S

The Portrait Element: Manningtree Sailing Club - David Shipley and Sid Smith

On Thursday 5th January, I visited Manningtree Sailing Club to photograph David Shipley - an ex-marine engineer now 18 years' retired. He is an acquaintance of my grandfather's, who is heavily involved with the club and all things nautical. We met at the Manningtree Sailing Club clubhouse, where, over  a couple of pints of Adnams, we discussed his history of sailing and involvement with the club. Below are a couple of examples of some digital work I produced on the day - as with the rest of my portrait sessions, I will not be able to process any of the films until I return to University (which is tomorrow, thankfully). Throughout this shoot I used  my Canon 450D DSLR and Olympus OM - 2n (35mm film), along with a Metz flashgun. 

David Shipley

Shipley was a keen sailor in the past, competing in numerous national and international races - the largest being the North Sea Passage race, which he entered a total of seven times and won twice. He also won the London Frostbite race three times - a race which takes competitors 32 miles along the River Thames, starting at Tower bridge and ending at Erith Yacht Club. His hay-day was cut short, however, due to the un-timely death of his friend during a boating race in Holland. Since then, Mr. Shipley has merely dabbled in sailing, buying and refurbishing a small fleet of traditional fishing boats and selling them. In between this and sporadic pheasant-shooting excursions, David has battled with cancer and is the full-time carer of his mother, who, regrettably, is otherwise incapable of looking after herself.       

David showing me a picture of his dingy on his mobile phone.

Sid Smith

Whilst photographing David, I took the opportunity to make some portraits of my Grandfather, Sidney Smith.  I have not as yet had the opportunity to undertake portraiture with a member of my family, and I found that the personal relationship made for far more successful and intimate portraits. Like David, my grandfather was, and still is, a keen sailor and an exceptional advocate of the Manningtree Sailing Club. 

  

Above are three of my favourite digital portraits from the day - in particular the middle and bottom portraits. I think that these are the most successful because they show the estuary map in the background - the Stour estuary being a huge part of Sid's life, which gives context to his extensive history and his love of the landscape. 

Sid posing next to his yacht

I am really happy with the results of this shoot, and I would like to carry out more photographic documentations of my family in the near future - the personal aspect of the subject matter created a very close emotional connection between me and the photographs, and a great sense of pride in the images. For now, however, I need to concentrate on my University projects at hand, which require me to deal with subjects who I am not familiar with.

Reading poetry

S

Rambling: Alamy Stock Photos

Stock photo agency giant Alamy has provided the students of the Press & Editorial Photography course and incredible offer: 100% royalties for two years if we register with them through the university. It is an offer that, being miserably poor students, we could not refuse. This, then, spurred me on to head out in to Falmouth and the surrounding area to snap some stock photo-worthy images, and hopefully give me some inspiration in regards to my 'isolation' and 'industrial coastline' briefs - above are the results, taken on a Canon 450D.


The trek - which took me all the way across the Fal River by ferry to Flushing, across the fields and over the headland to Mylor - did in fact give me inspiration for the 'isolation' shoot. When I reached Mylor, a small fishing town of a handful of residences, I came across St. Mylor's Church. The quaint church has a grave yard and a cemetery a few metres up the road. My plan is to spend the day in the cemetery, photographing the people that visit and what they do - laying flowers, cleaning head stones etc.


Stay tuned.


S

The Person at Work: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

A few weeks ago I spent a day with the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners on The Arrow, a pilot boat. The purpose of pilot boat is to travel  in to the bay or Fal river and transport the captains of cargo ships and other such vessels back to shore. 


Nigel is the Coxswain of The Arrow, I was under his command for the day. I was given quite strict instructions to follow his orders if necessary - this proved to be somewhat of a hindrance as, whilst I was photographing on-deck, I was not permitted to move out of a small, cordoned-off section of the boat's bow, restricting my movements considerably. Another set-back was the fact that there was not as much 'action' as I had originally anticipated - sure, being at sea was brilliant, but I only had about thirty-seconds shooting time when the boat reached the cargo ships, whilst the captain climbed down a ladder on to The Arrow. After that the action was over, and the rest of the time was spent sat-down, travelling back to shore. I did not, however, let this ruin my day, and I worked with what I had; the hulk of the cargo ship's side created an impressive foreground feature, whilst the choppy sea and moody skies gave an atmospheric backdrop. This, then, allowed me to capture some really affective observed portraits.


Overall I am happy with the results and do not feel the need to re-shoot. Next week I am spending the day with Police Community Support Officer Fiona Gamble.  

S