Category: Photography

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RGB Awards 2012 : Bristol Festival of Photography [BFOP]


Getting a little excited about this now. I’ve never been to a photography awards evening, much less one with two of my own images accepted [from the deeply personal The Anatomy Of A Stroke series*]!

* Thanks to the continued support and encouragement of my father. Who, incidentally, finally looked at the whole series – partly prompted by this news – only late last week.

Although… {Glances at watch: 5:30pm Wednesday} …I’d much rather be happy and relaxed. I got the two images printed a couple of days ago, but I want to include the text in the frame, too. And, as it’s not something I’ve done before, this is being stubbornly problematic.  [Or am I being stubbornly problematic?!] Anyhoo… I just desperately want to strike the right balance between image and text, especially so the latter, being in the frame, doesn’t overly distract from the former. I finally plumped for square frames yesterday. But with other life getting in the way and time rapidly running out, inspiration [and printing!] needs to punch me in the face very soon.

{Fiddles with worry beads and rubs lucky rabbit’s foot}

Oh, and it’s these two:

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Nature Vs Nuture

This image [colour version – follow link below ] has provoked quite an extraordinary response on my Flickr stream these past few days. The responses have ranged from the flippant to the thoughtful, from the concise to the lengthy reflection, in public and an unusually bulky private message Inbox.

As someone wrote publicly: “Street documentary is a controversial subject. I agree with whomever it was that wrote that it is here to provoke an emotion. Which emotion that is is individual but the job of the photographer is to present the image so that it is felt by the viewer.”

And another message privately: “…[I like photos that] provoke discussion …it’s a chance for people to hear themselves think.”

(Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/will_gortoa/6788154931/in/photostream)
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So, That Was 2011 : Photography

A sprinkling of memorable images from 2011. I was going to say ‘favourite’, but didn’t feel comfortable with having one of my dad falling under that particular epithet! So, they’re [arguably] some of my stronger images from the year: from the often quirky and entirely unexpected street photography moments, through an example of more formal portrait diversions [with Young Wife, Alice, the perfect subject : )] and the emotional response to the Japanese earthquake* and my father’s recent stroke.

* Comfortably one of my most satisfying photographic moments of the year: an image of mine selling for 150UKP to raise money for the Japanese earthquake appeal. Thanks Helen!  : )

(Source: http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=6608902809&size=large)
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Walking The Dog

Someone suggested that they felt “…something slightly apocalyptic about this one. Weren’t there dogs in the ‘Book of Revelations’? ‘Outside are the dogs, those who practice the magic arts…’”

I’m not the most learned of theologians, but I do seem to vaguely recall something from Sunday school along the lines of “…and then a plague of inflatable animals heralded the beginning of the apocalypse…’ or some such, from the Book of Dalmatians, Chapter 1, Verse 101. Mind you, Sunday school was quite a long time ago now, so the memory is getting a little hazy.

Well, apart from that stolen kiss I got from Sherilee Dilling, round by the bins. I have fond memories of that moment.

(Source: http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=6041358318&size=large)
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The Shooting Gallery

As I know some people are occasionally curious as to how I get some of these more ‘blatant’ street shots, I quite enjoyed this one:

I was walking into Bath to meet a friend last week and was running late, but a tourist bus had stopped and the guide was giving an animated lecture on the magnificent Royal Crescent. I couldn’t resist. I walked [quite quickly] between the guide and the assembled faces and took three shots as I passed the regimented ‘gallery’… I dropped the camera from my eye after the final shot, without breaking my stride, smiled and gave a hearty “Morning,” to a chorus of bemused chuckling. I don’t think the guide had been getting many laughs. As I approached he said ‘Any questions?’ to stony  silence. And wasn’t I pointing my camera in the wrong direction?!  : )


(Source: http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=6275674847&size=large)