Patterns

One and a half faces


*One and a half faces*
Fuji XT3 (XPAN) + Ilford FP4+
Model : Lilly

I hadn’t thought too much ahead on my process for this session : the key aim was to test my lighting equipment. So I ran the double exposures the same way I do for my texture portraits: shoot an entire roll at -1IL, then shoot the entire roll again at nominal exposure. But looking at the pictures it’s clear that this type of double-exposure doesn’t lend itself too well to that process : I should have shot the two shots in a row on the same frame. Su the successful shots are happy accidents. Like this one.


Subway Cylinder

*Subway Cylinder*
Fuji XT3

Going up this escalator, I noticed the way that the ceiling tiling was reflected in the shiny metal divider between the up and down escalator. I struck out my arm and shot as flat as I could (this is corrected for tilt). What I did not expect was that visually the tiling and the reflection would create such a compelling cylinder.

Ladle Abstract

*Ladle Abstract*
Fuji XT3

In the Shintoist shrines in Kyoto (and, I’m assuming, elsewhere in Japan) there often are these beautiful little basins with wooden ladles in front of them that worshippers use to clean their hands. When I walked into this temple near Gion after nightfall I was struck by the contrast between the clear wood of the ladles and the dark surroundings. I shot from above, not really seeing what I was framing. It turned out to be more interesting than I thought, in a quasi abstract way.

Swirling

Swirling
Fuji x100s, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 800

The first time I saw such massive incense spirals burning was at Man Mo temple in Hong Kong. I was happy so see some again in Saigon, they’re such graphic objects. The light was much better in Saigon too although it makes them a tad less dramatic I guess.

A Thousand Buddhas

A Thousand Buddhas
Canon 7D, 96mm, f/4, 1/6400s, ISO 1600

 Now that I’m more or less settled in Shanghai I can start sharing photos again. Many, though not all, will be from Asia, as you can imagine. This is from a wonderful ‘antiques’ market in Dong Tai Lu, Shanghai.

Rippling Branches

Rippling Branches
Fuji x100s, 35mm, f/8, 1/60s, ISO 800

 I don’t usually do these kinds of abstracts, but there was something fascinating about the way the reflected branches of this ancient tree reflected in the pond as my son threw pebbles in the water.

Pinecone in Darkness

Pinecone in Darkness
Canon 7D, f/13, 1s, ISO 200

 Still life is as much an exercice in technique as it can be an artistic endeavour. I’ve long been fasinated by Edward Weston’s Pepper No. 30 and without any illusion of getting anywhere near his mastery of light, I’ve been experimenting with similar in the studio still life concepts. I did a fair amount of work on pinecones, and this one is one of the most interesting results, I think.