Just going through some CDs and came across some of my first digital captures. This was taken on or around 11 November 2003 on a Nikon Coolpix 5700. CD worked fine as does, I understand, the camera. This is how I processed it (with plenty of help from my Mother…thanks Mum!) all those years ago on Photoshop. With the passing of time my tastes have changed, so I’ll have another go at the original during the week and see what I come up. Happy to send a jpeg to anyone on Stills who would also like a go.
Evocative for me as I lived in Prittlewell, I think Southend was the South End of Prittlewell. The pier was part of my youth and my grandmother used to take my sister and me out to the end and we’d catch the train back. I also recall going on a paddle steamer caught from the end of the pier!
A pier shot with a bit of a difference, particularly in the treatment. Your mum did well: there is a Brandt-like feel to the tones and I can imagine it looking impressive as a print. I don’t think that you’ll improve on it.
I’m not so sure about the ship that is crossing the end of the pier as one has to work out whether it is part of the pier or not.
This style of photography was very much in vogue when I was learning photography the first time around. It was probably harder to do in the darkroom than in photoshop…
I was never convinced that it wasn’t usually used as a prop for a lack of content. And as we know, I’ve ended up liking low contrast images.
Ah. I’ll grant that a decent-sized print would easily show that, although from where I’m sitting it looks like a medium-sized coaster!! I may even be able to see the chimney: if that is it that would be a nice touch.
Although it is a bit tricky to compare the three versions due to background differences, the more “moody” contrast and noise of this version still holds some appeal for me. The sky really recedes dramatically in comparison — everything seems to rush back to the horizon so there is great depth, yet once there, the graininess brings me back to the surface. The updated version is more “refined” and probably shows more detail and “reality”, but I still like the relatively coarse treatment of this one that makes it seem more like an old memory than a real scene.
Then I get to the color version, and wonder why it went to black and white in the first place! Those touches of yellow and red would have stopped me from even considering it.
November 30th, 2009
Just going through some CDs and came across some of my first digital captures. This was taken on or around 11 November 2003 on a Nikon Coolpix 5700. CD worked fine as does, I understand, the camera. This is how I processed it (with plenty of help from my Mother…thanks Mum!) all those years ago on Photoshop. With the passing of time my tastes have changed, so I’ll have another go at the original during the week and see what I come up. Happy to send a jpeg to anyone on Stills who would also like a go.
November 30th, 2009
It certainly makes an impact this way. I’d be interested to see how you treat it today.
November 30th, 2009
I’ll post my 2009 vision on Stills 3 in a couple of days.
November 30th, 2009
Evocative for me as I lived in Prittlewell, I think Southend was the South End of Prittlewell. The pier was part of my youth and my grandmother used to take my sister and me out to the end and we’d catch the train back. I also recall going on a paddle steamer caught from the end of the pier!
I think this kind of treatment of piers has almost become a cliché, I think I did one somewhere as an MFT joke. Saying that and trying to ignore the evocativeness of the image for me, I still like it.
December 2nd, 2009
A pier shot with a bit of a difference, particularly in the treatment. Your mum did well: there is a Brandt-like feel to the tones and I can imagine it looking impressive as a print. I don’t think that you’ll improve on it.
I’m not so sure about the ship that is crossing the end of the pier as one has to work out whether it is part of the pier or not.
I hope Rex notes the horizon on the third!
December 2nd, 2009
Never have guessed it was from the archives ;-)
This style of photography was very much in vogue when I was learning photography the first time around. It was probably harder to do in the darkroom than in photoshop…
I was never convinced that it wasn’t usually used as a prop for a lack of content. And as we know, I’ve ended up liking low contrast images.
I do like some of the foreground detail here.
December 2nd, 2009
John, that ’ship crossing the end of the pier’ is the end of the pier. The print has a lot more detail in it, like the Grain Power Station chimney!
December 2nd, 2009
Ah. I’ll grant that a decent-sized print would easily show that, although from where I’m sitting it looks like a medium-sized coaster!! I may even be able to see the chimney: if that is it that would be a nice touch.
December 3rd, 2009
Original colour and an updated B&W now on V3 of the site.
December 4th, 2009
Although it is a bit tricky to compare the three versions due to background differences, the more “moody” contrast and noise of this version still holds some appeal for me. The sky really recedes dramatically in comparison — everything seems to rush back to the horizon so there is great depth, yet once there, the graininess brings me back to the surface. The updated version is more “refined” and probably shows more detail and “reality”, but I still like the relatively coarse treatment of this one that makes it seem more like an old memory than a real scene.
Then I get to the color version, and wonder why it went to black and white in the first place! Those touches of yellow and red would have stopped me from even considering it.