Love these images l do like this style of photography, there is a guy called Gary Gough who has a YouTube channel and he has some great shots and tutorials on this subject. For me the B&W 16x9 is the one I like best.
Thank you very much for your comments Philip and it is good to hear which image you prefer. This is not a style of photography I try very often so it was fun to experiment. I have also been following Gary and found his videos from Suffolk and Norfolk very interesting.
Gill, beautiful images. I also like the first one the best - the colour palette is beautifully soft and the subject has plenty of room to "breathe". I don't know what fine art is, although it seems to be mostly used for marketing purposes.
Hi, Gill!! I personally LOVE these!!! The first one of the eroding beach is gorgeous and wild and I love that. And it makes me wonder - what does the church there look like? Is it abandoned? The others, of the wood in the water, are dreamy and ethereal, especially in black and white. I'm on the fence about removing the horizon line. But, that is neither here, nor there. These are stunning pictures!! Thank you for sharing. XO
Thanks for including that! Those pictures are lovely. The church is pretty. It's sad something once so beautiful is in ruins but I guess it will disappear eventually anyway. Thanks for sharing! XO
Another outstanding blog with the writing fully complementing the images to convey what Covehithe is like. Hopefully you will manage to persuade a magazine to run it as an article to give it the wider audience it deserves.
I always enjoy features where the photographer shares their thought process behind the images. It not only gives a better understanding of the making of the image and what you were seeking to achieve and show the viewer. Fine art photography in my view is a descriptive label such as black and white or long exposure etc. I've no strong views, preferring to see if an image creates an emotional response, except where it is used to try and persuade the viewer it is something they should like simply because of a title.
Thank you very much for your comments Andrew, I am glad you enjoyed the blog and my thought process. For me the writing process is a good way to reflect on whether something has worked or not. I enjoyed experimenting with this more minimal style of photography but I am not sure it really conveys the essence of the location.
Beautiful images, peaceful and interesting at the same time. Only one small other comment, I'm slightly less keen on the added clouds, not needed i think (and no views really on what is art, it's all creativity!)
Thank you very much for your comments Kirsty, it is really interesting to read your views especially regarding the clouds. I was unsure but thought they added some texture to balance the top and bottom parts of the image.
I like the challenge of producing images like these, but I find they resonate more with me than other people. They capture a moment that means something to me, but somehow I struggle to convey much to other people. ‘Very nice’ is the best I get.
I think I like most the one you said was your first and favourite shot. All sorts of symbolism going on there!
Thank you very much for your comments Mark. I agree with your thoughts on this kind of imagery. I enjoyed the challenge of creating these images but I did feel that the more minimal I made them the more soulless they felt.
Wonderful work, Gill, as always. As you probably gather from Instagram feed, Covehithe and Benacre are two of my favourite places. They are forever changing and offering something new.
I do like the minimalist approach. I've always admitted Martin Annand's work in particular for this kind of style. Though I do feel that there are more and more photographers now which are doing this - sometimes even taking a picture of a scene and removing 80% of it to create a minimalist perspective.
I think creating work with an emotional / evocative resonance can have the "Fine Art" tag, but I find as I've come to study more art / conceptual photography, that fine art can be a bit loose and wishy washy term.
Thank you very much for your comments Daniel. It has been lovely to see all your images from Covehithe. It is a place I always enjoy visiting but with varying degrees of success photographically.
I too am a fan of Martin Annand's work, he makes minimalism feel effortless and his pictures are beautiful. I feel that the use of the term 'fine art' can be somewhat over used but I do enjoy the minimalist style even if I don't use it much myself.
A lot of the trees have disappeared and shifted over the last couple of years. It's always place that comes alive when it's moody and dramatic weather.
I feel there is a lot of it tucked away that I've yet to see and discover.
Hi Gill, it’s taken me a while to get round to reading this!
I like your first image best. I like the composition and colours but also I like the fact it has the horizon in. It seems to me that grounds it in the location and gives it a context it would lack if you edited the horizon out.
I think this style of photography can be very effective but sometimes I feel a bit uneasy about the lack of context and also can find an image less engaging because of this.
Incidentally I went to Tate Britain last week to see an exhibition called Now You See Us which is all about women artists. It features a bit of early photography and I realised that photography was recognised as an art form from its very earliest days. In fact the equipment and work required for early photography took a great deal of effort, more comparable with painting or drawing. Photography by the masses at the click of a button came later and is probably responsible for it being seen more as a merely mechanical way of recording pictures.
Photography also included women from the start. There were women among the pioneers and they were admitted to photographic societies far more readily than to societies of artists and painters which were very male dominated and reluctant to admit women.
Thank you so much for your comments Sarah, I really enjoyed reading them especially the information about women in photography. The exhibition sounds really interesting.
I agree with your thoughts on removing the horizon and other elements within the frame - I also think the resulting images lack context and soul.
I like how you walked us through the process of figuring out if it was an image that showed what you wanted to portray about the scene. Especially the process of working out before and after images and selecting final output images.
My favourite of this lot happens to be the first one - and that seems to me, to be minimalistic - As I understand minimalism to be - which IMHO is analogous to describing what a "simple" design would be - that everything that Distracts from the Core message or core emotion to be conveyed is removed - HOWEVER, everything that needs to be there for the core message or emotion is Retained.
It seems to me - and you seem to have arrived at the same conclusion - that a lot of modern interpretation of "what is minimalist" is to remove almost every essential element to a certain photo or artwork except for 1 or 2 main things - that might require a new name, IMHO - maybe "unitarianism" or something?
Thank you very much for your comments, which I found really interesting. I completely agree. The removal of too many elements from the frame to create minimalist images seems to remove the very essence of the photograph. For this reason I often find minimalist images quite soulless.
An interesting set of images and explorations Gill. The textures of the wood are quite something, and both the soft colour palette and monochrome work well. I especially like the second to last composition; the first is striking too.
Thank you very much Michela, it is interesting to read which images you find most appealing. It was the colours and textures of the wet wood that I found most attractive and it was good fun experimenting with different ways to present the compositions.
These are beautiful images Gill - I tend to agree that 'Branching Out' is the best image overall. I love to see the texture in wet wood and am a sucker for mono so I feel that the bw version 4 works the best for me. However of the 3 colour versions I prefer version 2 as it gives me the impression of distant haze or fog and keeps the focus on the logs...I find the added cloud texture version distracts a little from the minimalist feel.
The term fine art photography has often puzzled me as I see it used so widely nowadays with images that, for me, don't fit that definition of showing a narrative / emotion /atmosphere or sense of place being classed as this. That makes the term subjective on the part of the viewer...but then that's just my take! :)
Thank you very much for your comments Lin, I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I also agree with you about the term 'fine art'. It does seem to get used for so many different things with seemingly little thought. Often the removal of a horizon is enough to trigger its use which I don't really understand. I guess as you say it is all very subjective. 🙂
I love branching out for the composition, elegant, delicate yet the "force of nature" is still present. Next is uprooted 1, for me it works best with horizon. I need to "feel I'm there" and uprooted 1 gives me that feeling.
Long exposures are imho only good if they not only look good, they also need to contain something more, a feeling of tension, eternity, ... Aesthetics should support more than just beauty of composition.
Thank you very much for your comments Gery, it is interesting to know which images you prefer and why. I can also relate to what you say about long exposures, I think they can lack meaning if the images are too minimal.
Thanks Gill. Enjoyed all of this. Like the subtle colours more than b&w on this occasion. Horizon and/or clouds so muted as to work in or out… difficult to choose, but enjoyed understanding your process and thoughts. Feel a bit indifferent about the current fascination with the ‘fine art’ debate. Would I frame it and display it is my usual yardstick? P.s. I framed and display your photo insert from the “rust’ zine I purchased. Never did get back to you to say how good that zine is. Sorry.
Thank you very much for your comments Mike and it is good to hear what images appeal and why. Thank you too for your comments about the Kingdom of Rust zine - I am glad you enjoyed it and am flattered that you choose to frame and hang the print. 🙂
Love these images l do like this style of photography, there is a guy called Gary Gough who has a YouTube channel and he has some great shots and tutorials on this subject. For me the B&W 16x9 is the one I like best.
Thank you very much for your comments Philip and it is good to hear which image you prefer. This is not a style of photography I try very often so it was fun to experiment. I have also been following Gary and found his videos from Suffolk and Norfolk very interesting.
These are such stunning images of Covehithe, you capture the place so well.
Thank you very much Deborah, I am glad you enjoyed them.
Gill, beautiful images. I also like the first one the best - the colour palette is beautifully soft and the subject has plenty of room to "breathe". I don't know what fine art is, although it seems to be mostly used for marketing purposes.
Thank you very much for your comments James, I am glad you enjoyed the images. I also agree with you about the term 'fine art'.
Hi, Gill!! I personally LOVE these!!! The first one of the eroding beach is gorgeous and wild and I love that. And it makes me wonder - what does the church there look like? Is it abandoned? The others, of the wood in the water, are dreamy and ethereal, especially in black and white. I'm on the fence about removing the horizon line. But, that is neither here, nor there. These are stunning pictures!! Thank you for sharing. XO
Thank you very much for your comments Danielle and I am glad you enjoyed the images.
The church at Covehithe is fascinating. The current building which has a thatched roof sits inside the ruins of the original church and makes for some wonderful photographs, best viewed through the big arched window of the ruins. This piece I wrote will give you a better idea. https://www.landscapephotographytuition.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Ideas_Inspiration_Vol2.pdf
Thanks for including that! Those pictures are lovely. The church is pretty. It's sad something once so beautiful is in ruins but I guess it will disappear eventually anyway. Thanks for sharing! XO
Another outstanding blog with the writing fully complementing the images to convey what Covehithe is like. Hopefully you will manage to persuade a magazine to run it as an article to give it the wider audience it deserves.
I always enjoy features where the photographer shares their thought process behind the images. It not only gives a better understanding of the making of the image and what you were seeking to achieve and show the viewer. Fine art photography in my view is a descriptive label such as black and white or long exposure etc. I've no strong views, preferring to see if an image creates an emotional response, except where it is used to try and persuade the viewer it is something they should like simply because of a title.
Thank you very much for your comments Andrew, I am glad you enjoyed the blog and my thought process. For me the writing process is a good way to reflect on whether something has worked or not. I enjoyed experimenting with this more minimal style of photography but I am not sure it really conveys the essence of the location.
Beautiful images, peaceful and interesting at the same time. Only one small other comment, I'm slightly less keen on the added clouds, not needed i think (and no views really on what is art, it's all creativity!)
Thank you very much for your comments Kirsty, it is really interesting to read your views especially regarding the clouds. I was unsure but thought they added some texture to balance the top and bottom parts of the image.
I like the challenge of producing images like these, but I find they resonate more with me than other people. They capture a moment that means something to me, but somehow I struggle to convey much to other people. ‘Very nice’ is the best I get.
I think I like most the one you said was your first and favourite shot. All sorts of symbolism going on there!
Thank you very much for your comments Mark. I agree with your thoughts on this kind of imagery. I enjoyed the challenge of creating these images but I did feel that the more minimal I made them the more soulless they felt.
Wonderful work, Gill, as always. As you probably gather from Instagram feed, Covehithe and Benacre are two of my favourite places. They are forever changing and offering something new.
I do like the minimalist approach. I've always admitted Martin Annand's work in particular for this kind of style. Though I do feel that there are more and more photographers now which are doing this - sometimes even taking a picture of a scene and removing 80% of it to create a minimalist perspective.
I think creating work with an emotional / evocative resonance can have the "Fine Art" tag, but I find as I've come to study more art / conceptual photography, that fine art can be a bit loose and wishy washy term.
Thank you very much for your comments Daniel. It has been lovely to see all your images from Covehithe. It is a place I always enjoy visiting but with varying degrees of success photographically.
I too am a fan of Martin Annand's work, he makes minimalism feel effortless and his pictures are beautiful. I feel that the use of the term 'fine art' can be somewhat over used but I do enjoy the minimalist style even if I don't use it much myself.
A lot of the trees have disappeared and shifted over the last couple of years. It's always place that comes alive when it's moody and dramatic weather.
I feel there is a lot of it tucked away that I've yet to see and discover.
I agree. I think it is a place to return to time and again to get the best from it.
Hi Gill, it’s taken me a while to get round to reading this!
I like your first image best. I like the composition and colours but also I like the fact it has the horizon in. It seems to me that grounds it in the location and gives it a context it would lack if you edited the horizon out.
I think this style of photography can be very effective but sometimes I feel a bit uneasy about the lack of context and also can find an image less engaging because of this.
Incidentally I went to Tate Britain last week to see an exhibition called Now You See Us which is all about women artists. It features a bit of early photography and I realised that photography was recognised as an art form from its very earliest days. In fact the equipment and work required for early photography took a great deal of effort, more comparable with painting or drawing. Photography by the masses at the click of a button came later and is probably responsible for it being seen more as a merely mechanical way of recording pictures.
Photography also included women from the start. There were women among the pioneers and they were admitted to photographic societies far more readily than to societies of artists and painters which were very male dominated and reluctant to admit women.
All the best
Sarah
Thank you so much for your comments Sarah, I really enjoyed reading them especially the information about women in photography. The exhibition sounds really interesting.
I agree with your thoughts on removing the horizon and other elements within the frame - I also think the resulting images lack context and soul.
Hello Gill!
I like how you walked us through the process of figuring out if it was an image that showed what you wanted to portray about the scene. Especially the process of working out before and after images and selecting final output images.
My favourite of this lot happens to be the first one - and that seems to me, to be minimalistic - As I understand minimalism to be - which IMHO is analogous to describing what a "simple" design would be - that everything that Distracts from the Core message or core emotion to be conveyed is removed - HOWEVER, everything that needs to be there for the core message or emotion is Retained.
It seems to me - and you seem to have arrived at the same conclusion - that a lot of modern interpretation of "what is minimalist" is to remove almost every essential element to a certain photo or artwork except for 1 or 2 main things - that might require a new name, IMHO - maybe "unitarianism" or something?
what do you think?
Thank you very much for your comments, which I found really interesting. I completely agree. The removal of too many elements from the frame to create minimalist images seems to remove the very essence of the photograph. For this reason I often find minimalist images quite soulless.
Gill, I absolutely love your photos—they're so simple yet incredibly beautiful 😍
Thank you very much, that is really kind. 🙂
An interesting set of images and explorations Gill. The textures of the wood are quite something, and both the soft colour palette and monochrome work well. I especially like the second to last composition; the first is striking too.
Thank you very much Michela, it is interesting to read which images you find most appealing. It was the colours and textures of the wet wood that I found most attractive and it was good fun experimenting with different ways to present the compositions.
Beautiful stuff Gill. I love your first image most. Fine art? Of course it is.
Thank you very much Tom, I'm glad you enjoyed the images 🙂
These are beautiful images Gill - I tend to agree that 'Branching Out' is the best image overall. I love to see the texture in wet wood and am a sucker for mono so I feel that the bw version 4 works the best for me. However of the 3 colour versions I prefer version 2 as it gives me the impression of distant haze or fog and keeps the focus on the logs...I find the added cloud texture version distracts a little from the minimalist feel.
The term fine art photography has often puzzled me as I see it used so widely nowadays with images that, for me, don't fit that definition of showing a narrative / emotion /atmosphere or sense of place being classed as this. That makes the term subjective on the part of the viewer...but then that's just my take! :)
Thank you very much for your comments Lin, I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I also agree with you about the term 'fine art'. It does seem to get used for so many different things with seemingly little thought. Often the removal of a horizon is enough to trigger its use which I don't really understand. I guess as you say it is all very subjective. 🙂
I love branching out for the composition, elegant, delicate yet the "force of nature" is still present. Next is uprooted 1, for me it works best with horizon. I need to "feel I'm there" and uprooted 1 gives me that feeling.
Long exposures are imho only good if they not only look good, they also need to contain something more, a feeling of tension, eternity, ... Aesthetics should support more than just beauty of composition.
Thank you very much for your comments Gery, it is interesting to know which images you prefer and why. I can also relate to what you say about long exposures, I think they can lack meaning if the images are too minimal.
Thanks Gill. Enjoyed all of this. Like the subtle colours more than b&w on this occasion. Horizon and/or clouds so muted as to work in or out… difficult to choose, but enjoyed understanding your process and thoughts. Feel a bit indifferent about the current fascination with the ‘fine art’ debate. Would I frame it and display it is my usual yardstick? P.s. I framed and display your photo insert from the “rust’ zine I purchased. Never did get back to you to say how good that zine is. Sorry.
Thank you very much for your comments Mike and it is good to hear what images appeal and why. Thank you too for your comments about the Kingdom of Rust zine - I am glad you enjoyed it and am flattered that you choose to frame and hang the print. 🙂