When’s an Eigg and Egg?
In 2 months from now, I’ll be back on one of my most favourite beaches in Scotland. There’s just so much to photograph here and I’ve not had much time myself to fully explore all the features and geology here.
Laig Scars
But I did manage to make this shot in April, after discussing the composition with one of the participants on my workshop. Similar to the geology found on the east coast of Arran, we have what seem to be scars running across the stone landscape.
But I also liked the diagonal fin in the foreground of this shot taken on the more sandy part of the bay.
Hi Bruce -
These 2 are really exceptional. You’ve developed a very distinctive signature through both your composition style and (maybe even more) your use of colour. You seem to be comfortable with a definite purplish cast on a lot of your photos, which certainly works well for you, but I have to say I’d be very nervous about leaving in! Is this a stylistic choice, or does it just pan out that way as a consequence of the light you prefer to shoot in ? I assume you’re a 100% Velvia guy ? I’m having a very difficult time, dithering between using Provia 100F, Velvia 100, or sticking with the vastly unpopular Velvia 100F I’ve been using for a good 5 years…
Best wishes
David
Comment by David Mantripp — 7 July, 2010 @ 10:36 pm
Hi David,
The Velvia transparencies are like this…. that purple cast…..
I tend to like images to be a little left of centre anyway. Colour is mood for me, and I just tend to go with how I feel when I’m editing them. Sometimes I will remove the cast by using a curve to tune it out, but I tend to shoot in early morning light and I love very overcast days that most folks seem to try to avoid. I see something in it which I find attractive.
I’m Velvia RVP50. I’ve never tried any other velvia and I did buy some Provia to try it again (I hated it when I tried it, but that was such a long time ago and I feel my photography has been moving on somewhat since then).
I do like purples and blues though and I think that tends to go hand in hand with early morning shooting when the colour temperature is low.
So it’s very much a stylistic choice for me, although I can appreciate that others may find it too much, or think that I’m colour blind ! :-)
Comment by Bruce Percy — 7 July, 2010 @ 10:46 pm
I think because you are consistent and deliberate with it (purplish casts) its not an issue (unlike users of cheap grads for example) and the casts never tend to look out of place because we (or at least I) expect colours like that (although probably not as strong to the naked eye) at dusk and especially dawn when the mood is sombre and overcast. Now I am settled in Aberdeen I have a few ideas using the breakwaters on Aberdeen beach which will suit the sombre dawn conditions nicely, BUT . .we cant stop getting spectacular sunrises right now!
With respect to your Eigg shot I have photo from the same morning and even my digital sensor through Lee filters picked up some of that lovely purple atmosphere (your velvia just exploited it more!!)
d
Comment by DavidLangan — 8 July, 2010 @ 10:15 pm