COFFEE SHOP - Weston, Yorkshire

Ok it’s been some time since I had a bit of a ramble and considering I’m in a coffee shot waiting for my car to be sorted out I figured why not…Well this is a second image from the other morning and as you can see it’s the same coppice of trees, but from the thinnest angle of them and 90 degrees to the last shot. It’s about 1 mile from my house and I have been waiting for these misty conditions for a while. The fog was exceptionally heavy and this really did make this shot tricky. There was almost too much fog and when I walked to the location I had concerns that I wouldn’t be able to shoot with enough front to back depth. I wanted to use a mid-range lens so I wouldn’t get the barrelling distortions, but had to move closer and go wider because the fog was so dense.

I’m quite enjoying this melancholy departure here. I must admit I’m very fond of colour and the optimistic feelings that are associated with it, but it’s making a nice change to really go moody. I’m also thinking it might be fun to take an elegant tall long haired model in an long flowing dress and get her walking (all depressed) through the forest. (That said, not sure my wife or the cliché police would understand). Anyway, I am enjoying what the fog is doing to the delicate branches and the way it masks and simplifies the distance is rather pleasing. I suppose the removal of a good depth vision that fog offers is a key emotional element here that stimulates a darker mental state. I also guess the way you react to this type of image relies very much on your socialisation, (but that’s another story).

Technically, working in monochrome is liberating. You don’t have to worry about balancing the colour, chromatic aberration and noise! Sure it’s a different workflow process, but without stating the bleeding obvious, it’s a lot simpler to work with. I suppose the subject matter needs to be carefully chosen, but once your there, it’s a pretty direct workflow. I’m also enjoying the way you can push the contrast more and I believe that areas of burnt out white are more in keeping with the atmosphere.

Anyway, we shall see what you guys think, but for me at least I’m enjoying this slight departure from the norm. I expect this monochrome holiday will be over soon, especially when the bluebells come out!

Oh one last thing, if you haven’t seen it yet, I’ve been interviewed on ‘On Landscape’, so pop over and leave a comment if you fancy it… http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2012/03/featured-photographer-jason-theaker