A still image freezes time for a fraction of a second. Life stands still, and we don’t know what happened next. But a movie, while in reality a fast-changing sequence of still images, shows us life in motion. Is that an easier way to tell a story? Perhaps; however our imaginations alone can often create multiple stories out of a single image.
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The Roman poet Horace said that 'a picture is a poem without words'. Of course he would not have known about photography, living as he did over two thousand years ago. But I’m sure if he had, he would have looked for poems in photos.
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I confess I have never been one to climb mountains, and certainly not these days! But I am inspired by the sight of them and by all the wonders of the world’s wilder places. And where better to see some of these than in a national park? I’m a particular admirer of the US national parks system, which owes much to the campaigning of John Muir.
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What is it about Paris that has so captured the imagination of artists and writers over the years? Is it the light, the architecture, the culture, the way of life? I am not sure, but I know it has captivated me too.
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Spring is the most colourful of seasons so how can we best capture its wonders in monochrome? The colours of spring are special to us as we transition from the muted, often monochromatic tones of winter to a vibrant explosion of life and renewal. So what happens if we remove those colours from our photos?
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I wonder whether images ‘choose’ photographers? I think in a way they do, in the sense that any keen photographer will put themselves in the best position for potential pictures to choose them. They know where to go, where (and importantly) how to look.
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The first colour many of us think of when we hear the word ‘night’ might well be black. But as Van Gogh famously reminded us, there are many more colours to be seen then too. And he made his remark before the advent of our brightly lit cities, where many colours are more evident at night than black!
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I am writing this at the end of March and spring seems definitely to have arrived in London. Street trees are in blossom, birds are more active and more vocal, and our garden is awakening. But my ‘story’ starts back in the tail-end of winter, February.
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If a black and white photograph is a 'departure from reality' (and surely it is), then why are so many photographers still drawn to taking them? And what is their appeal for the viewer? Is it merely nostalgia as some have claimed? After all, the oldest among us grew up I'm a world of black and white films, TV and family snapshots.
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Neil Gaiman once said, 'Picking five favourite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose.' If you replace the word ‘books’ in that quote with ‘photographs’ you will know exactly how I feel. I have a similar reaction when people ask me which are my top three / five / ten places I’ve visited.
