Cube, Sphere, Pyramid – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #74 – Abstract

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

This week we invite you to break the rules and go beyond the traditional realistic image of an object, scene, or element. For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #74, we are going “Abstract.”

Well I thought I would use a photo of some of the marvellous sculptures of artist David Nash, please do go and see any exhibition of his work if you get the chance. And do go and hunt out his artwork and sculptures if this is the first time you are hearing about him – David Nash.

These simple burnt wooden objects really spoke to me, maybe nature in its abstract form, and so for this challenge, and after a little photoshop jiggery pokery, the abstract taken, abstracted from its original abstract context, but possibly made less abstract by my meddling and layering of some contextualising textures.

‘Cube, Sphere, Pyramid’, David Nash Exhibition Cardiff, 2019.

Ken

 

Even when it is cold – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #73 – Cold

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

We look forward to seeing your interpretation of “cold”. It could be snow and ice, or a frosty window pane, or even your favourite flavor of ice cream!

Well since you mention it – even the cold and wet doesn’t put us off our holiday ice cream!  2014 so I cannot remember what the flavours where – though the record will be somewhere on my facebook page!  Anyway all Ice cream is our favourite!

‘Even when it is cold’, Windermere, 2014.

Ken

 

Jump – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #72 – Waiting

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

This week, we invite you to explore waiting. Share with us photos and stories of your or other people’s waiting experience–waiting for holidays, vacation, travels, or a photographic moment.

Well I have been ‘waiting’ for the perfect challenge to use this photo, and finally I think it has come along.

Some young swimmers were doing back-flips off Smeatons pier in St. Ives, each waiting their turn, and waiting for the right moment.  In turn I was watching and waiting for the perfect moment to take the shot.

‘Jump’, St. Ives, 2019.

Ken

Double treats – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #69 – Seeing Double

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

Double trouble, double-time, two’s company, take two …. the world is filled with references to twosomes. This week, let’s double our pleasure and focus on things that come in twos.

So another in the ‘wife holds ice cream’ series, just to make sure you all know, one of these ice creams is destined for me, can you guess which one is mine?  The clue might be the fact that I have a sizeable moustache and beard.

‘Double treats’, St. Ives, 2019.

Ken

Strata – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #68 – Layers

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

This week, we invite you to explore Layers. You can include images of buildings, landscapes, seascapes, clouds, etc.

So my choices when faced with this sort of challenge are, do I find a photograph displaying many layers, maybe accentuated by depth of field, or do I layer a couple of photos up?

So while looking for a photo or photos to use, I saw a photo of some cliffs, which in turn reminded me to go and look through some photos I had taken last year.  I think this fits the bill nicely , look at all those stratigraphic layers, only accentuated by the rolling in of the sea mist adding yet another depth layer to this shot.

‘Strata’, Nash point, 2018.

Ken

Smiles & shakes – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #67 – Candid

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

Taking photos of people or animals when they have no idea that you’re doing it is called candid photography. One of the beautiful things with photography is being able to catch someone in the act. It adds natural life to your pictures. Even if my choices here are mostly in B&W, of course feel free to use what you find most suitable for your shots!

So, this week I thought we would go for candid photos of people or animals – Have fun with the challenge, and we are looking forward to seeing your candid finds!

This sort of challenge is hard for me, I rarely ask people if I can photograph them, friends are usually aware I have my camera with me, and so even if at times they are unaware that I am taking the shot, is this true candid photography.

Sometimes I find I have taken a Candid photo quite by accident, and where the figure is identifiable I am left with the quandary of  what to do with the photo, can I use it, as I did not subsequently ask their permission to use it.  Animals are eaisier they nearly always give their meow or woof of consent.

Anyway here is a photo from a recent trip to St. Ives when I walked around with Focus set manually to a few feet and snapped away, in search of interesting street scenes.

‘Smiles & shakes’, St. Ives, 2019.

Ken

501603 – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #66 – Filling the Frame

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

This week, we invite you to explore filling the frame for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #66.  You can include images of buildings, people, objects, and/or elements from nature.  Feel free to include shots of the same subject before you filled the frame and after you filled the frame.

Well I did not even have to try to think about how I would compose this shot, as the bull decided he would fill the frame for me!  It looks a lot more scary than when I took it a minimal crop at 18mm so I was quite close!

‘501603’, Anglesey, 2019.

Ken

Wild and tame – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #64 – Countryside and/or Small Towns

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, and I [Amy] are looking forward to seeing your photos and reading stories of countryside and/or a small town.

I would say that at lest 50% of my photos could fit into this category as I live fairly rural, and my holidays usually take me to rural places, in search of ancient stones I tramp across wild open spaces, through forests, past lakes, up and down hill and mountain, and along public pathways.  Farmland and the ever patient farmers with the walkers on the land are a recurrent theme.  I live in Wales so I have access to some of the UK’s best countryside and small towns, even our big towns and cities are small :).

The countryside and our towns can be both wild and tame, so here are a few photos for you about what this means to me.

‘Cerrig Duon View’, Brecon Beacons, 2019.

‘Brecon stream’, Brecon Beacons, 2019.

‘Working’, Anglesey, 2019.

‘601555’, Anglesey, 2019.

‘Beaumaris’, Anglesey, 2014.

Ken

Merry Magic – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #63 – Magical

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

But Magical can mean so many different things to everyone of us – At Lens-Artists, we have already had Magical Light as a theme, (last year) but this time it is all up to you! What is Magical to you? People, places, things, nature, adventures, moments… – this week we are looking forward to having some of Your magic!

I think it might be fair to say that most of you have realised that I find monumental ancient places magical.  There is a mystery around their purpose, how and why they were constructed, in the locations they were. What went on here? would there architects approve of my visit, my capturing of this place, and my interpretation both mental and visual?  Surely this would be seen as magic.

I still find the ability to capture images of what we see magical, it was magical when it was chemical and mechanical, and it is still magical now it is captured by a small electronic box.  It is now made even more magical by the fact that I can perform so many interesting tricks after the image has been captured, a magic that once could not be performed at home nor in the studio in many cases.  Once we had to send our undeveloped film off to the chemical magician, and wait for the sound of that small packet hitting the doorstep.  For those lucky enough we could perform this magic in our own homes, the smell of developing fluid and fixative in our nostrils and under that magical red bulb.  I do sometimes miss those days.

So here is a photo of the Merry Maidens in Cornwall, an especially magical place as this is where I proposed to my wife, the thought of asking someone to share their life with you, and the in the asking and answering a magical contract made between two souls.

Ken

Gull – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #62 – Silhouettes

This weeks challenge from the Lens-Artists is:

This week, we invite you to explore silhouettes for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #62. Feel free to include silhouettes of buildings, people, objects, and/or elements from nature.

‘Gull’, St. Ives, 2019.

Ken