Pointy Hat Mountain Mk2 & other stories
Of course, there’s always another point of view, or interpretation of the same location. That mountain – Geitelva, across the water from Fredvang is quite a formidable character, and I was always looking for vantage points to photograph him.
Driving into Fredvang one evening, there was so little light, that I felt that I was always reaching for the area of the sky where the light was. It took me to a little outcrop, just across the water from Geitelva. You wouldn’t know it, but right behind me, where I made this shot, was a fishing factory. I could hear the loud muffled blare of a radio playing Norwegian electronic dance music. The electronic dance music seemed to accompany me in my car throughout my week’s stay in Lofoten – and it was the best radio I’ve heard in a long while. Still…. from looking at the shot, you wouldn’t get the idea that there was a bit of a din going on behind me (even though I liked it, since it kept me company for this 20 minute exposure).
On a different day, the light levels were much more appealing. The cloud cover had gone and with it, the sunrise of 11am and sunset of 1pm didn’t feel so short. The day was full of pink light wherever I went and I found it quite a challenge not to rush. I would be at a location, wondering if I should move on soon, because normally, this sort of light doesn’t last long in Scotland. Half an hour, maybe 10 minutes…. but here in Lofoten, it was lasting for hours. This shot is of a large frozen bay up near Eggum.
There’s a temptation to make everything dark and moody, but sometimes the scene demands a lighter touch, as in the case of this photo of perhaps my favourite mountain in the whole wold – Oldstind. The weather was unusually calm for most of my stay on Lofoten, which isn’t what I tend to prefer. I like drama and mood, but I always remind myself there is beauty in everything, whether it’s an overcast day, or a bright, almost colourless day like this one. It’s really about me bending to the landscape, rather than it bending to me.
3 stunning images Bruce, the first two possess more of a “dramatic” look to them, but i have to say that the third one looks like a perfect hybrid between 2d and 3d, the mountains appear on the background sky just as if someone painted them very softly over it. This kind of extremely soft contrast is the sort of characteristic you see only in paintings, and i find it astonishing :)
Comment by RaIn — 24 January, 2012 @ 10:55 am
I’m loving the softness of the third image, and the composition really lends itself to the square format. I imagine that a square frame, which feels more rigid and static, must be much more demanding on the photographer. I still can’t believe that first photo is a 20 minute exposure! I don’t know how you even managed to successfully focus in that light.
Comment by ColinCroke — 24 January, 2012 @ 2:59 pm
Hi Colin,
I was wondering about Square format myself for some time. But I wrote an e-Book about aspect ratios which I would (obviously) recommend to you to read, as it really helps in understanding composition and how this is affected by the aspect ratio you use.
I personally believe that square is the easiest aspect ratio of them all. When height and width are the same, you take one more step out of the equation. True, not everything works in square, but in general, I do believe it’s the easiest aspect ratio to master.
That’s why I love my little Lummix GF1 so much…… I often shoot it in 1:1 aspect ratio.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 24 January, 2012 @ 10:10 pm
Hi Rain,
Thanks so much for the nice comments. I think images are read on many levels – composition, tonal relationships, contrast, lack of contrast, overall dark mood or light mood….. it’s so easy when editing images to find that everything becomes the same. Each image you tackle, has the same toning applied…. it’s hard to shake habits like this, and I can usually tell I’m editing an image in the wrong direction because I don’t feel good about it. That usually means I need to undo it all and park it for a day or two, until I can approach it with a fresh mind and eye.
I’ll sometimes find that images I didn’t know how to edit, were difficult because I ‘assumed’ at the time that I must go dark and contrasty on them, when in fact, they were crying out for a lighter, brighter, softer touch.
I’m learning all the time, and the editing process is a constant reminder that things are not what I assume them to be, and that each image dictates what is required…. if only I’m prepared to listen and not go with some tunnel-vision point of view.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 24 January, 2012 @ 10:15 pm