Blackpool Vistas
Passing Conversations
18/12/09 07:33
Taken at 03:11pm on Blackpool Promenade, Lancashire. UK. Thursday 17th December 2009.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon shooting on the wonderful camera that is the Canon 5D Mark II. Its an absolute pleasure to shoot all my new work with this camera. The superb Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens combined with the 21.1 Megapixel Canon 5D body results in amazing image quality. I must have read countless reviews about this camera over the past year and couldn’t wait to use this camera for myself.
One of the most technological advanced additions to the Canon 5D Mark II (and what made it revolutionary on its release) is the ability to shoot full frame HD video. Vincent Laforet’s ‘Reverie’ was the first 1080p short film to be photographed with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and successfully turned the independent film industry on its head over night. Reverie convinced photographers, film-makers and artists alike that this camera could transform their artistic practice forever (even with a small budget, time restraints and a touch of imagination).
There are a few practical considerations when switching between shooting still photography and shooting video. As a documentary photographer I rarely carry a tripod as they tend to be somewhat inconspicuous and cumbersome, but if you want to shoot professional looking video the use of a solid tripod or Steadicam is crucial. Then there’s the sound to consider. The camera has a built-in microphone, but if your in a location thats as windy as say, Blackpool beach, then an external microphone is a definite must to avoid any unwanted pops or clicks. I’ve been capturing HD footage in Blackpool on the Canon 5D Mark II over the past week and I’m beginning to get an idea about what it takes to produce video work. It’s still all work in progress, so for now I’ll just share this still photograph taken between shooting some HD video yesterday.
This photograph is entitled ‘Passing Conversations’ and depicts the moment when two ladies pass two men along the promenade; separate conversations momentarily intertwined in a split second. The location is full of signs synonymous with Blackpool’s character (one detail being the ‘We Sell Fags’ sign outside the Scotties Got It shop) that make for a really interesting background for the people in the photograph.
There are also two new blog posts (Visual Exhibition At Nutmeg House and Murmurations Signal The Beginning Of Winter) that I’ve (finally) managed to upload.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
ISO: 250
Focal Length: 102mm
Shutter Speed: 1/250th sec
F-Stop: f/6.3
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Blackpool Revellers
25/06/09 15:14
Taken at 01:05pm in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Wednesday 24th June 2009.
I recently read an article entitled ‘Personal Projects Can Make A Difference’ written by Grant Scott for a recent issue of Professional Photographer magazine that inspired me to take a closer look at the current direction of my photographic practice and, more importantly, to continue shooting new images for my personal projects. Like many photographers, personal work is the driving force for my creative inclinations and is an important aspect of any artistic practice.
As Grant Scott says in his article, “If you’re not shooting, your work isn’t progressing”. Simple as that.
Needless to say, I was throughly excited to get a free afternoon to photograph the people of Blackpool enjoying the glorious sunshine yesterday and get back into my element. One of my main reasons for staying in Blackpool after completing my photography degree and MA course is that I’m so utterly passionate and inspired by the diverse subject matter that the town has to offer. All you have to do is look for it and, to be honest, you don’t have to look too far.
The area between North Pier and Central Pier has always been one of my favourite locations for taking photographs in Blackpool as its what I consider to be the liveliest and most popular part of town for tourists and locals alike. In particular, the juxtaposition between the built environment and the people engaging within it has been a continuing feature of the photographs I’ve produced throughout this series. Yesterday, when I spotted this group of people sitting opposite the amusement arcade Coral Island, I noticed this juxtaposition and began taking a few photographs. The facade of Coral Island, with its prominent pirate skull (complete with eye patch), makes for a rather surreal backdrop for the people sat in the foreground. The title of this photograph is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek take on the expectation one may have of modern day Blackpool Revellers, with the town synonymous with large groups of people usually equating to hen/stag parties.
I’ve now added this photograph to the Blackpool: An Unimagined Space? gallery along with a couple of new photographs from yesterday’s shoot.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 125
Focal Length: 85mm
Shutter Speed: 1/160th sec
F-Stop: f/14
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The Winter Gardens
25/01/09 07:47
Taken at 02:19pm in Blackpool, UK. Thursday 22nd January 2009.
The Winter Gardens is home to Europe's second largest theatre (the Opera House) and is one of Blackpool’s most treasured historical buildings. It opened in 1878 and has seen the likes of Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey and a host of West End theatre productions over the years. I’ve seen several gigs (including The Arctic Monkeys and The Subways) there and I also had the job of photographing NALGAO’s three-day conference throughout the venue back in October 2008. Although the interior decor needs sprucing up and looking after, I personally think that it’s still one of the town’s better assets.
I took this photograph from the top level of the recently regenerated Hounds Hill Shopping Centre car park. I’d always struggled to get the shot I wanted of the exterior of the Winter Gardens because there simply wasn’t a high enough vantage point to produce something more interesting from the usual images you see of the building. The new car park at the Hounds Hill helped me to overcome this problem and, at the same time, offered the chance to see Blackpool’s town centre from a completely new perspective.
I’ve recently re-edited my series of photographs for the Blackpool project to include some new photographs and (hopefully) make it a stronger set of images.
This can be seen by visiting the ‘Blackpool: An Unimagined Space?’ gallery.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 26mm
Shutter Speed: 1/80th sec
F-Stop: f/16
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The Pleasure Beach & South Shore Promenade
09/11/08 23:25
Taken around 4:50pm on South Shore Promenade, Blackpool. Tuesday 8th April 2008.
This is a panoramic photograph made from nine images taken of the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool back in April 2008. The backdrop features one of the town’s premier attractions, the Pleasure Beach’s biggest ride, ‘The Big One’. It is Europe’s largest roller coaster rides and certainly needs the panoramic treatment. To the right of the image are several of the new sculptures produced by contemporary artists (for example, those of Sir Peter Blake) that now feature on the newly revamped promenade. It is a great walk from Stargate, past the Pleasure Beach and onwards towards the centre of town, with plenty of attractions to enjoy and things to experience.
Technical Information
Made from nine photographs all taken at the following exposure:
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 40mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/22
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Sunbathers On The Promenade
25/09/08 08:38
Taken at 3:31pm on Blackpool Promenade. Tuesday 23rd September 2008.
In the summer of 1969, the photographer John Gay was commissioned to produce a photographic assignment documenting English holiday-makers in the town for Country Fair Magazine. This work was featured at the Grundy Gallery in 2006 and the series of photographs offer a remarkable insight into Blackpool culture during the post-war heyday. Almost sixty years on, the photographs I’ve taken in Blackpool over the past two years hope to offer a contemporary view into the character & identity of the resort.
Added to the site today are a selection of tearsheets of my work.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 85mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/11
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Life On The Sand Dunes
07/08/08 20:15
Taken at 2:45pm at Stargate, Blackpool. Saturday 2nd August 2008.
Over the last five days I have frantically been gathering together all my research, contact sheets and notes for my MA course. Next month I will have to hand it all in and that will (hopefully) be the end of my studies (for now!). The only problem with coming to the end of the course is that I have to catch up on some written work, but I’m just constantly drawn to my camera and the thought of being out & about taking photographs. Anyway, I think I’m starting to get some sort of balance to the whole thing and all should be just fine.
This photograph is another from Saturday afternoon at the sand dunes in Stargate, Blackpool. I’ve always taken candid portraits when I go shooting and I think this is perhaps the best one I took that day.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 47mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/16.0
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Sea Life
14/07/08 19:48
Taken at 2:40pm on Blackpool Beach, Sunday 13th July 2008.
I began work on making a book featuring some of my favourite photographs I’ve taken in Blackpool over the years. It will include a diverse photographs not featured on this website, but are hopefully quite interesting none the less. I took this photograph yesterday and it shows holiday-makers making the most of the lovely sunshine and new promenade.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 85mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/16.0
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The World Famous Seagull
29/06/08 20:27
Taken at 12:17pm on Blackpool Promenade Bridge, Monday 17th December 2007.
Since I started my documentary project on Blackpool in 2006 I have taken thousands of photographs, so every now and again there are photographs that I don’t spot straight away during the editing process. Editing and revisiting my work on a regular basis can help re-shape and re-imagine the whole feel of the series. I recently came across this photograph I took six months ago during this process and it features two locally well known subjects; the art deco of the old Palace Discotheque and the world famous Seagull.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 61mm
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
F-Stop: f/9.0
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The Living Statue
19/06/08 18:24
Taken at 2:03pm on Blackpool Promenade, Saturday 14th June 2008.
A walk along the promenade reveals the living statue, one of a number of street performers providing light entertainment for Blackpool tourists during the summer months. Blackpool is synonymous with providing popular entertainment for the masses, but I wanted to explore what is available on street level (there is certainly more to the town’s ‘pleasure identity’ than The Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower). This location (opposite Central Pier) is a popular hot spot for local street vendors, performers and beggars as there are usually many passers-by along the promenade. I took a few candid photographs from across the street before the living statue noticed me, but once I had been spotted, I crossed over to put a couple pounds in his box to say thanks for letting me take his picture. He posed for a few photographs too but my favourite is this shot taken just as he noticed me taking pictures.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 75mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/8.0
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