Black & White Photography

Wot, two blog updates in as many days! I guess it must be pissing down outside!!!
Oh dear, the colourful language raises its naughty head again, tut tut. Of course, pun intentional, as this latest blog entry has nothing to do with colour, unless of course I refer to grey scale, also known as Mono, but more commonly referred to as Black & White. I've never been a big fan of this type of photography to be honest, but lately I've been dabbling more and more with B/W conversions, and quite liking the end result. A big part of a good conversion is picking a suitable image to begin with. Many images simply won't work, so get your selection right and you're half way there. I cherry picked a few recent shots of mine before giving them the B/W treatment, and I'm well satisfied with their 'New look'. The majority of these shots were captured on dull, cloudy days, which is a good start as a lack of available colour generally has me pointing in the direction of B/W anyway, coupled with the fact that these moody skies often add a sense of drama to the shot, lending themself to B/W more than colour. Another slice of criteria is contrast - I tend to favour strong contrast in B/W conversions and always look at the depth of shadow and highlight before making a decision whether to 'Convert' or 'Back heel' the image I am considering for use. Thinking rationally, if it doesn't work in colour then there's only one path to go down. I choose to do my B/W photography in post processing, rather than capture it at source with the aid of Yellow, Orange and Red filters. Traditional methods, such as the Y/O/R filter route, were the only way to achieve true B/W shots before the introduction of digital camera's, but now it's a whole new ball game when you can easily lay your hands on a decent editing suite such as Photoshop. The end result, with the help of Photoshop is just as pleasing on the eye and it's a lot cheaper than shelling out on expensive B/W filters (that is, providing you have a copy of Photoshop that you managed to download for free!). Did I really say that? (wink).

And now to the business end of this blog entry - the photo's. Here is a small selection of B/W images by yours truly. Don't forget to click them for enlargements. The list is as follows...

1. Tynemouth (above)
Standing on the pier next to the Groyne Lighthouse, Littlehaven, I waited a few minutes for the arrival of the Amsterdam-bound ferry, which eventually arrived on schedule.  Plenty of great detail in the sky!

2. Tynemouth 2 (above)
As the ferry approached the Groyne Lighthouse at South Shields, I waited til it sailed alongside, then I tripped the shutter.

3. Transporter Bridge, Middlesborough
Positioned on the south side of the River Tees. Some nice foreground interest, and the Transporter Bridge dominating the shot. Not too much sky detail in this one.

4. Temenos, Middlesborough
A dramatic artwork on the banks of the Tees, with the Transporter Bridge in the background.

5. River Tyne, Gateshead Quays
I shot through a glass partition to get this one. A storm was brewing, as you can see in the distant black clouds. The rain was well and truly on its way...

6. Baltic Arts Centre, Gateshead Quays
And the rain soon fell! I took the lift from the viewing terrace back to ground level, which took no more than half a minute. Within this short space of time the heavens had well and truly opened. Seeking shelter in the Baltic doorway, I grabbed this shot, with like-minded folk opting to stay dry.

7. Roseberry Topping, Near Great Ayton, North Yorkshire
(as featured in my last blog entry). Works well in B/W. I quite like the added effect of the overhanging tree, which almost 'Frames' the iconic hill in the background.

8. St.Mary's Island, Whitley Bay
And finally, an experimental shot. Taken in broad daylight with a shutter speed of 45 seconds!!!!
An ND filter was applied to achieve an extra long exposure time, thus smoothing out the water in the process. A very dull and overcast day, with very little detail in the sky, Poor conditions for my type of photography, but you have to make the most of what you've got to play with, and on this occasion I landed a decent shot...

 

 

 

 

And that's all for now. I'll be back soon...in colour!

Ash

 

Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge is 100 years old.

The structure was officially opened on 17 October 1911 by Prince Arthur of Connaught. Designed by Darlington-based Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Co, the bridge cost £87,316 to build. The Grade II-listed Transporter Bridge, linking Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, is one of only six of its type still operating in the world and the only one in England. At its peak in 1919, 5.1 million pedestrians crossed the bridge, compared to just 16,000 (and 120,000 vehicles) in 2010. Often threatened with closure in the past, it is now seen as Teesside's icon. The bridge has survived German bombing raids, been featured on TV and in films, and on the video and cover of the single High by the Lighthouse Family. The running of the bridge is funded by both Middlesbrough and Stockton councils. Motorists, it seems, are opting to use 100-year-old engineering rather than take the often jammed Tees flyover.

The bridge, which turns 100 on 17 October, is a sign of home to some, and a sign of great engineering to all. The giant blue steel structure joins Port Clarence to Middlesbrough across the River Tees, and although passengers are now on the up, they hit a low in 2006 when only 90,927 made use of the bridge. Now on the rise, more than 122,000 passengers have used the blue bridge's yellow gondola to cross the river in 2009. Pedestrians can even buy a ticket to walk across the top of the bridge. Those who do not have the stomach can board the gondola at one side of the river and be carried across to the other. Commuters form the traffic these days, with many shoppers and tourists using it during off peak periods. The bridge is not only a symbol of the industrial north, it has also far exceeded the working life envisaged by its designers when it opened to traffic in 1911.

Centenary celebrations included a concert, interactive light display and people bungee jumping off the bridge. The event spanned a total of two weeks and it wasn't until the penultimate night that I made the 30 minute journey down the A19 to grab some photographs before my chance had passed. I arrived at the site just after sundown, which was probably the best way to begin my visit as I captured a fine silhouette shot with the bright horizon positioned right behind the bridge. The Transporter shipped its last vehicle across the river shortly after six o' clock - my first shot captured the crossing, shown above (picture one). I got chatting to a Proffesional Photographer who'd travelled down from Newcastle to photograph the bridge. He told me the Transporter Bridge light show was due to begin at 7.30pm and seeing as it was only 6.15pm at this point I decided to nip off for something to eat and return later to catch the light show. Within fifteen minutes I found myself in a fish and chip shop at nearby Seaton Carew - no surprise there!

Belly full and back to Teesside via the many power stations en route. It was a bit nippy by this time but I was soon in position on the river bank and awaiting the light show. A few photographers had gathered with tripods nearby. At half-seven precise the light show began. Rotating spotlights covered almost every inch of the giant structure, producing a shimmering effect on the steel, in a similar way that water reflects on a subject during bright sunlight. It was quite spectacular! As the evening light subsided the job of photographing the bridge became more challenging. The bridge ends were almost impossible to see through the viewfinder, making composition a bit of a task and 'Tight crop' certainly wasn't in my plan. Gone was the deep blue sky, replaced by a muddy brown tone, but still offering a nice shot.

Approaching 8 bells and it was time for the off. Back up the A19 towards God's Country - BYE BYE SMOG!

Cheers, AC