Sometimes a word can say more than a pile of images. If I say "chair", I am sure a lot of images flash before your inner eye; your mind starts to wander. Sometimes an image can do the same, make you ponder the story behind it, what will happen next. To me this is such an image. Hope you enjoy it.
Wayne Miller passed away in May this year, and in this portrait, "The World is Young" by Theo Rigby, Mr Miller talks about his life in photography.
“From the horrors of war to the complexities of childhood, Wayne Miller has captured intimate moments of life on film for over 50 years.”
This is an image from Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, which is a tidal island; the island is cut of from the mainland at high tide. The view is towards the mainland, and the posts you see on the right mark the Pilgrim's Way leading from the mainland running across the sands, exposed by low tide, over to the island. The posts are about 4 meters tall, and the difference between high and low tide may exceed 4 meters.
Northumberland, Lindisfarne island looking towards the mainland with the Pilgrim's Way to the right
This is a shot from Northumberland. Driving along a small country road we came across a wind farm, with wind turbines were popping up on both sides of the road. I am not sure if the small format on this web page does the image justice, I think this needs to be turned into a big print.
Northumberland, wind farm on Middle Moor
Keeping it simple and doing a high contrast black and white conversion to keep the water dark, and clipping the shadows slightly to get that black, oil like look.
The glass facade of one building acted as a mirror for another building nearby. I had to tilt the camera back to get the reflection of the other building into the frame. I like the way the keystone correction emphasizes the slightly aggressive posture of the mirrored building. Perhaps I should edit out the fluorescent light on the right. It breaks the pattern, but it somehow feels a bit distracting.
Northumberland, Embleton Bay, looking south towards Dunstanburgh Castle
This is a location I have visited a few times, and here is a slightly new take on a scene a shot last autumn. This time I decided to move a little to the left and make the shot wider.
The contrast between the straws and the surrounding buildings caught my attention. In the jungle of glass, steel and concrete these straws just seemed out of place, yet made an image where I though none was to be found.
The concrete construction in the foreground is a WWII pillbox, or small bunker. It is built to blend in with its surroundings, whereas the castle in the background is quite the opposite. Built on a hilltop clearly visible from both sea and land, sending a clear message to friends and foes.
WWII pillbox bunker north of Dunstanburgh Castle
This image is from harbor at the isle of Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, and the castle in the background is Lindisfarne Castle.
The two upturned boats in the foreground have been cut in half and made into sheds - I guess to store tools, nets, ropes; tools of the trade for the fisherman who owns it. Life as a fisherman is hard with a lot of toil, sweat and blood, and even tears for those lost at sea - sons, brothers, husbands and fathers.
To me the two upturned boats represent a much more interesting bit of history than the castle in the background. Their history started just a few generations ago - it could have been my grandfathers boat, my fathers shed.
Lindisfarne harbor, Northumberland
