I’ve mentioned in previous posts that Edward Weston was an important influence on me. The strong sunlight/shadow in this courtyard made me think of some of his work from the time he spent in Mexico.
His work was Black & White, but I think the simple shapes/patterns and color scheme might be the way he would have seen this today, about a hundred years, and a little technology, later.
For more of Bill’s photography, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index
I had an old friend/photographer who, when talking about making pictures, would say, “Look deep.” It was his way of saying watch backgrounds; they can distract from or support the main subject, and are seldom neutral.
In making portraits of people or animals there can be a tendency to frame tightly around the face, or head and shoulders, and those compositions can effectively show what the subject looks like. But do they tell you anything else? By opening the frame up a bit, some added detail can imply ‘background’ information about the subject, telling a story. How much ‘a bit’ is, is about balance. Too much/too busy and the subject is overwhelmed, instead of being the dominant figure.
I was photographing some docents in period costumes at the Green-Meldrim House, maybe best known as the Savannah headquarters for General William T. Sherman at the end of his March to the Sea. I noticed the painting behind my model, and including that offered a suggestion of an important ancestor, or maybe my actor as a younger man. By having each portrait looking into the center of the frame, and toward each other, I kept the design cohesive. Of course in this case any imagined stories are fantasy, but they offer a more layered, complex presentation.
For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index
Tybee Light, and one of the reasons.
For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index
In last week’s post I spoke of taking a photo group to Charleston for one morning. We spent the afternoon at Magnolia Gardens. I’ve been here several times and it’s always a challenge to find a new way to photograph this landmark.
My first memory of the white bridge is from Mr. Buchanan’s 7th grade class at Isle of Hope School. There was this girl named Kathy, who had decided I was her boyfriend, without consulting me, or me having expressed any interest in such a thing. A visit to Magnolia Gardens was part of a field trip to Charleston Mr. Buchanan had arranged for our class. I remember the bridge, and spending most of my time trying to hide from Kathy. I was a foolish boy, but then I was probably still concerned with the spreading of cooties.
The field trip had repercussions. I don’t remember why, but we were badly delayed leaving the Charleston area to head home. This was the late 50’s, so none of today’s communications’ tools to be able to let someone know what was happening. We were very late getting back to the school house, where concerned, and then angry, parents had been waiting for hours. And calling school board members. Field trips were prohibited for some time after that.
At least that’s the way I remember it.
For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index
