I was asked by Simon Edye to photograph a triathlon event at Whitlingham Lane. In this picture there are three sets of competitors collaged together, the quicker athletes wearing the blue caps, went in the first wave. They are waiting to start the swimming section of the race, and discussing amongst themselves the route they will take. After a lot of experimenting with backgrounds, I loved the stretched caravan park, on a hill at East Runton, west of Cromer.
Rolls No.1
After doing some house decorating work, there were three off-cuts of wallpaper left over. I liked the way they were being lit by the light from the window in the room. I photographed them at a few angles, duplicated and sized the rolls. The floorboard was from a photo commission I undertook.
Props And Trails.
There is a wind farm just off the Great Yarmouth beach, called Scroby Sands. I have concentrated five or six seperate shots to realise the vista. The beach is at Cromer, and the vapour trails were drawn with a Wacom tablet pen. If you notice the sky, it’s gradated from right to left, to accentuate the light direction.
Not Full.
The landscape was an flooded field, from the river which had burst its banks. I did a ‘stitch’ panaromic photo collage. The glasses were photographed in the back garden (what’s new?), cut out and made transparent. The optical distortion in the glasses, shadows and highlight spots, were all conceived in the computer, and it took a VERY long time to achieve! Is your glass half empty, or half full?
Matches.
All the matchbox labels are fictitious, I designed them myself, and then ‘stuck’ them over the original graphic. I photographed a few different boxes in various angles and arranged the match sticks randomly. I even burnt a couple of boxes. The background is a velvet curtain liner Sue was sewing, spread out on the kitchen table. Then came the hard job of composing and arranging the matchboxes, so most of the labels could be seen. Quite a few matchboxes never made the end picture,
Extraordinary.
The chest of drawers are upstairs in the bedroom by the window. I liked the way the light was striking it. The picture is set downstairs in the back room. The tank was being exhibited at an air show in Suffolk along with other military hardware. The glass of Champagne with the strawberry came from Australia, thanks Claire. If you can see it, I have written on the wall; INCREDIBLY EXTRAORDINARY, which is my comment on the scene.
Ballet Dangle.
At one of the maritime festivals at Yarmouth, there were a couple of old sailing ships tied up at the quay. One of the spectacles performed, was an acrobat doing a routine on a rope from the rigging. I must have taken thirty or forty photos of his routine. I chose the best and cut him away from the background. I had to extend the ropes, because of course, they stopped at the edge of the photo frame. The background took a long time to realise, but I settled on an ‘off the shelf’ Photoshop pattern. I know….but it does fit, and one day I will replace the background………
A Good Drying Day.
The clothes peg as an object, to me, had some resonance. I photographed them, as usual, in the garden and transferred them to North Norfolk. The landscape is one of many that caught my attention, whilst delivery driving around Norfolk. I took the photograph in a field just outside Paston, on the Mundesley Road. Once again it is a ‘stitched’ panoramic view. This was very much a learning experience with Photoshop, and realising what could be achieved once I started taking pictures and expressing an unlimited imagination.
A Different Idea.
Electric bulb and organic flower bulbs……get it?…hmm. I was struck with beauty of the clear glass light bulb whilst changing one. The trick was to ‘light it up’ in the computer which took some experimenting. The landscape is in Norfolk where tipper trucks had been off-loading tons of sugar beet, you can see the tyre marks. I was standing on a hill of them in the pouring rain to get the shot. The different idea, is the silvered spot bulb, held by Sue in the back garden. You can see the reflection of me and the blue shed door. The light bulbs come on, when they float up from the field. I learned a lot when I was creating this picture. It was a case of striving to achieve an objective and muddling through. No easy compromise was contemplated, but it was gratifying, and I had an education in photoshop which I didn’t get towards the end of my degree.