News
Wessex Muse Magazine
03/05/07
Cheese!
My art at school was described as bold. I think that is the underlying influence of my photography now. Whilst subtleties have developed along the way, and time smoothes and polishes the raw, I do endeavour to portray clarity in the images I produce.
Pictures are all around us; some people see them clearly and others require them to be illuminated. I consider that my job. As I say on the welcome page of my web site, my aim is to produce images of the world we live in, but perhaps from a different viewpoint. Something as simple as a puddle on a forest track, when frozen and lit by a glorious winter morning sun can, when captured, produce a design and hue that is difficult to replicate. Likewise, the intrinsic, beautiful form and rich colour of many raw food ingredients, such as chilli and olives, provide sensual images to savour.
Most of all it is light, and its ever changing effect on the physical world in which we live, that I try and capture. Without light there is no colour and we are unable to see. The varying luminescence of light and its temperature alters those colours, from cold blues through to warm reds to monochrome at low light levels. I use these physical changes that occur throughout the day, night and seasons, to work towards achieving the aims I have set myself. If in the process, others are able to see something in a way that they would not normally see it and retain that image for years to come, then that is a bonus.
Why a bonus? Because in capturing that image, I too have also seen and enjoyed what this world has to offer. I was recently asked for a picture of cheese. The usual still life images were shot but the one that excited me was a simple wedge of Camembert stood vertically, showing the different textures and buttery colours of this natural manifestation.
October through to April is my favourite time to photograph, particularly if it is for shots in and around the Wessex area. This is again because of light, and its primary source, the sun. Between these times, the sun rises and sets to the south of west and east. Its lower levels of intensity and height coupled with its angle help the photographer to produce an image with a more balanced exposure.
Planning outdoor shoots is initially carried out with Ordnance Survey maps and a protractor to identify rising and setting sun positions against the contours or headlands. This is followed by exploratory visits. Finally the weather forecast and tides determine whether the shoot is on or not. Frost, a winter sunrise, and natural forms then do the rest. All I’ve got to do is capture it. Simple really! I hope you enjoy the views.
Ian Badley
www.ianbadley.com