I was on the west coast of America with Sue where we witnessed 9/11 on T.V. as it happened. Like the world, we were stunned. This picture didn’t start out with the subject or title in mind. The Super Sabre jet, tail fin of the De Havilland Meteor, and the propellers were garnered from my visit to the aircraft museum in Flixton. The ‘buildings’ are at Earlham Cemetary in Norwich (not intended, but apt). The chimney has been doubled (without thinking about twin..) and the pyramidal roof enlarged. There were a LOT of images introduced to this collage at the beginning, but I eventually whittled them down. The title became apparent when I realised what I had unwittingly created.
Purple Shadows
There is a meadow at Wiveton Hall which hosts a ‘Glamping’ opportunity during the summer. It’s composed of a row of bell tents with mod-cons and a shower and toilet facility on-site. I photographed the tents just after they were erected before occupancy. They looked extraordinary in the evening sun. The picture started to come together after I introduced a photo of the net curtain in my bedroom, with the way the sun slanted across the window. Next came an old photograph of a classic American car, which was part of a collection being exhibited on Yarmouth seafront. The last component was the chain and padlocks, which I saw on a gate at Blakeney. I thought it created a symmetry with the car roof and the curtain. I toned the car and curtains blue/purple in keeping with the shadow on the tents.
Painting Perspectives
One of my favourite places to go, have a couple of drinks and watch the world go by is Cromer Pier. One day I noticed an artist with his portable easel/tripod stand, painting a canvas. I asked if I could take a couple of photos of him as he painted, looking into the sun. He will be surprised to find that he is on one of two student accommodation blocks at the UEA. Even more so, to have St.Johns RC cathedral in Norwich, on the skyline. In the original photograph of the artist, I kept the shadow as a guide, for when I created a new shadow in the computer.
Lowestoft Beach Huts
This collage is of the beach huts recently completed and yet to be occupied, overlooking the South Beach. I photographed the complex from different perspectives and chose some of the many pictures to be ‘jigsawed’ together. I thought of applying a wave motion to reflect their environment. I also saturated the colours and turned the blue sky to yellow.
Lines In The Countryside, Wires In My Head
There is a car park behind the Co-Op on the High St. in Cromer. One is faced with a big white plastered wall which is part of 18 Garden St. I liked the cracks and discolouration. I used a couple of shots to compose a picture which looked like Ordinance Survey maps…..and left it there. Later I took some photographs of the overhead electric power lines at Norwich train station. I also had some photos of the street lights along Marine Parade at Yarmouth. I combined the two elements as silhouettes and progressed by putting them with the first and unfinished ‘map’. It all came together very well and I was astonished at the result. The title comes from a line in a poem I wrote a very long time ago, and it strangely fits the picture.
It’s Kinda Crowded ‘Round Here
Yarmouth on a grey January day, and I was walking along the beach on Marine Parade. I spotted a guy doing some acrobatics on his BMX bike,whilst being filmed by his mate. I asked if I could take some photos, and showed him the results. I gave him my website address and hope he sees this picture, (if you do, E-mail me and I’ll send you a print). He will be bemused to know that he is cycling in Australia, along the Western Dstr(A4)/Bradfield Highway, on the way to Sydney Bridge.
Float Plane
I visited the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in Flixton, Suffolk, and came away with a wealth of photographs from the exhibits there. One example is the very early aeroplane on display, which was suspended from the ceiling in one of the hangars on the site. Behind it was the metal panelled interior wall. As you can see, I’ve distorted the image to give the illusion of forward motion. As usual I was looking for something to compliment the primary image. Eventually I introduced the splay of canoes that were on the river, here in Norwich. I added the clouds at the top to replace the water in the original photo.
Ethereal
I was walking through the Victoria Shopping Arcade on King St. in Yarmouth. I noticed the dress making mannequin, although it looked more decorative than practicable. I asked the shop owner if I could photograph it. I cut away the background in the computer, as you can see and duplicated and sized it. The one problem was a big price tag (£20) attached to the right shoulder. (Note to self; take it off next time!). I had to copy the left shoulder from another shot, reverse it and then juggle it on, the best I could. Can you tell?..DON’T say anything! The mannequins are standing on a geological feature in South East Tasmania. It is a tessellated ‘pavement’ at Eaglehawk Neck. No shadows and no reflections, hence the title.
Detecting Shadows
Whilst visiting Gorleston beach I came across a guy who was metal detecting with a scanner and spade. I told him that any pound coins he might find were mine. He laughed and said he had only found a couple of bottle tops. I took a few photos of him. Three weeks later, walking along Lowestoft Marine Parade, I was attracted by the curves of the handrail, of a promontory seating area, so I photographed a few angles without any thought of what I would do with them. Wondering how I could utilise the metal detectorist, I hit upon the idea converting his image into a translucent silhouette. I experimented with a few situations to put him in, and finally as you can see, selected the beach front scene with the shadows. I have adjusted the opacity to make him look more of a credible shadow.
Red And Yellow
These are members of a military band who were stationary, and playing at the Royal Norfolk Show. I was drawn to the bright red tunics and the brass instruments. This is a close-up shot I took, amongst many others I photographed of the group. I cropped the photo a bit more and made what I think is a striking image. I have erased the background and their black trousers (notice the red trouser stripe still there) and filled the spaces with the flat red surface. It’s the same device that I have used with my self portrait on the home page. I applied a filter to give the picture a painterly effect.