Making of 40 Photographs #27
This is image #27 in my series of ‘Making of 40 Photographs’.
I’m not usually a Black and White photographer, but some subjects ‘need’ to be photographed in Black and White.
I came to Easter Island in 2003 to photograph the Moai statues but I had a few set backs. One of them being that my telephoto lens was malfunctioning (thanks to some screws being shaken loose on the rocky, unsealed roads of Patagonia). So a tip for you there – if traveling a lot with your camera – don’t let it shake around in the boot of your car – try to soften any impact by putting it on a seat near you.
So I was limited in what I could shoot – all I had left with me was a wide angle and standard lens. This shot was taken with my standard lens from the edge of Rano Kau, the largest volcano on Easter Island (the island is triangular in shape, each corner made up from a volcano).
I’m always looking for simple shapes and patterns in scenery that can be brought together to create a powerful image. I feel I managed this well with this shot – the clouds were what I was ‘visualising’ in my mind with their reflections in the sea below. I did shoot this on Velvia (it was the only film I had), but have subsequently converted it to B&W. I’ve also cropped the 6×7 aspect ratio to an almost square crop. Some things too, seem to be much better in square format as well as in Black and White it seems.
I love this b + w shot.
Very striking image.
Comment by pinkpig — 17 November, 2009 @ 12:42 am
Hi PinkPig (great handle by the way),
Many thanks – I had feedback today from a friend about this image and he said I should crop the right hand side – it’s interesting for me, because it is such an old image for me now (6 years old) that I’ve stopped looking at it. But I think he is right. But it’s one of my favourites.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 17 November, 2009 @ 12:48 am
haven’t seen this before. love it
Comment by goosetea — 17 November, 2009 @ 11:53 am
I really like the design especially the way you have set the tallest rock at the apex of the clouds reflection. Very powerful. B&W really brings out the design.
Comment by Luciano — 17 November, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
Yes, lots of pictures “need” B&W. I invite you to visit my blog. I’ve been investigating in it for my last posts.
Great blog, you have.
http://www.fotopoemas-osseliln.blogspot.com/
Comment by osselin — 18 November, 2009 @ 12:55 pm