Grey London
Over the recent weekend, I was wandering the streets of London with my Camera, as I am wont to do. The weather was miserable. Grey, dull and lifeless, which is a shame, because London is an attractive City when the light is good.
I was unhappy with most of the images I took during the day, they were uninspiring and really highlighted the fact that I've not been doing nearly enough practising with my camera since Nepal. Use it, or lose it is the maxim to live by. Despite what they say, if you don't ride a bike for years, that first street you cycle down is going to be a bit wobbly....
Three images ended up having some potential after some post processing, even these are not my best work, or even average, but they were the best of a poor showing and part of the reason I write this blog is to record my progress and lessons for myself at least as much as for anyone else. It would be a pointless expertise then to only show off improvements in technique and delivery.
All three, due to the grey overcast day, lent themselves to Black and White, which is, I think, a lesson in itself. if the light is not what you need, change your perspective and expectations. Outside of a studio or shooting with Apollo, you don't have control over the light and so you make compromises. If you ignore the conditions you are shooting in, you end up with nothing usable. If you accommodate them you may create something, if not what you were aiming for, then at least interesting and worthy.
