Black and White

I love black and white. It strips away all the artifice and leaves your with the bare bones of what is important in an image. I took some photos in colour today of beautiful scenery and while they are beautiful they struck me as being soooooo boring, like a beautiful but superficial woman. Black and white strips all that away and shows you the real substance of the image.

Selective Colour

I don't like over manipulated photos but I have to admit that sometimes selective colour can be really effective. Take away the colour you don't want and leave only that, which you feels add to the picture.

Eyes

A friend of mine, Samira asked me to take a photo of her today. As I was looking through the view-finder it really struck me how intense her eyes are. It is so true, the eyes really are the window of the soul. I really think I have captured this about her in the photo. What do you think?

How frustrating

It is simply not practical to have my camera with me all the time but today I was sooooooooooo frustrated. As I was walking home along the lake there were 3 falcons so close to me taking fish, literally scimming the surface. I have been trying to get a decent shot of them for ages and the one time they are really close is when I don't have my camera with me. How frustrating is that. However, I will get the shot one day. There are some herons near here and it too me a few months to get the shot I wanted. It's not so much Zen and the art of motorcycling as Zen and the art of photography

First time in a studio

Today is turning out to be a good day. Had my first ever opportunity to take a couple of photos in a studio with a proper lighting setup. It wasn't even a proper photo shoot, just experimenting and getting a feel for the lighting etc but I really like how these 2 pictures came out and I have the feeling that studio work could become seriously addictive, if only I could use it more often.

First post

I decided that I would use a blog to promote my photography. I have sold some of my work and an important business magazine here in Switzerland has requested use of some of my work also, so it got me to wondering how I can sell some more.

However, photography for me is not so much about making money as being able to express myself and give my view of the world. I find it very relaxing as well, because when you are looking first for the picture, then thinking about how you will frame the shot, then looking through the view-finder before pressing the shutter. The concentration is total and for a brief instant most of the world disappears as your vision is consumed by the image you want to create. In this age of instant digital gratification it is so easy to 'snap' away but the greater satisfaction comes from slowing down and really thinking about what you are doing.

I'm quite a philosophical guy and I watch very closely what happens in the world and so I will being writing some of my musings from time to time. Writing really does help define the thought process.

The above photo that I took of the stunning ceiling of the Vittorio Emmanuele Gallery in Milan works really wel in black and white. The sheer amount of architectural detail is incredible and that lofty glass and iron ceiling really has to be seen in the flesh to be appreciated.