While I was creating this picture, the phrase ‘Basso Profondo’ kept cropping up in my mind. The phrase, as a title, was inappropriate for the image, but I preferred ‘Basso Ensemble’ . The double bass was in the shop window of Cooke’s Pianos on St. Benedict’s St. (no longer there). I took a couple of photos, but settled on a side view, to avoid the shadow and reflection I was casting. Later at home, I noticed the sun streaming across the coffee table and remembered a speculative shot I took of the wine glass the year previously. With those two images together, I was looking to fill the top part of the frame. I thought some clouds….but found the clock tower. It is in Eaton Park, by the model boating lake. Yes the dial is back to front! I had to reverse the image, to accommodate the light direction.
The Prow, The Table, And The Angel
Here I am once again on Cromer Pier with a glass of wine (alcoholic, definitely!), before continuing to Wiveton Hall on a Sunday afternoon. This is a favoured spot, sheltered from the wind and warmed by the sun. The table casts a wonderful shadow on the planking. As usual, I worked through possible marriage/narratives to fit the scene. I eventually came across the prow of a boat I had photographed years ago. It was being scraped down to be repainted. The angel is a feature on a college building in Cambridge. This is one of a pair who face away from each other, under the eaves on the corner of the building.
Tread And Wear
Looking at my shoe rack one day, I noticed a couple of shoes were upturned. One was worn down very significantly, and sorting through all the other pairs, it became apparent that there was evidence of a personal signature, like a fingerprint. I photographed all of the shoes and realised it was of course, how I walked. Weight (the amount of wear exerted), Gait (what part of the shoe makes contact with the ground), and State Of Mind (whether I’m trudging along, or have a spring in my step). This picture was created in 2010, I remembered it recently so I re-visited and edited the original. The underside of John Wayne’s boots would be interesting to examine!!
The Day The World Was Stunned
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.