In search of the iconic

Is this an iconic image?

Paul Fusco - Magnum Photos

What is an iconic photograph?   I am not sure - are you?   I have spent the afternoon looking at imagery from around the world to try and come up with some guidance but all I have succeeded in doing was muddying the water.   However, I think that this actually may be a good thing as this is the start of the process and if I knew now what is an iconic image then the journey would not be worth taking.

Why am I concerned with this.  Well its my friend the MA essay.  I am comparing two very iconic images - well I think they are iconic (and so do most people if I am honest)  but that does not answer the question as to what is iconic?

I have done some very simple research and this would seem to leave more answers than questions.   The good thing about this quest is that I can spend time looking at some of the great images of all time.  I am surrounded by books full of magnum photographers, the best sports photographers and other unimpeachable photographers.   The initial litrature search has been inconlusive but to be truthful I haven't really tried to find any really useful text books yet. That joy is to come.

So what is iconic?   I would love to hear your views.

Finally got hold of the book!

Having fathomed out how to use the library reservation system I have managed to get hold of the missing copy of Steam, Steel & Stars.   This is a fascinating book about how & why O Winston Link took his series of photographs of the last years of steam on the Norfolk & Western railroad (it is in the States so I can call it this).  The more I read about Link he would appear to be a driven person - someone who must have perfection and will go to extraordinary lengths to achieve it.  Of course, the thing I have to remind myself is that the reason for reading the book is specifically to help understand the 'Hot shot' image (see previous posting for details) and most of the information I have gleamed will not have any direct relevance to this.

The Hard Work Begins

As with all my other colleagues I am now immersing myself in the research for the first essay for the MA course.   I have to say this is an absorbing activity.  However, the knock on effect has been that I am no longer paying as much attention to my own photography as, perhaps, I should.   This is not a unique problem.  David Manley on his blog as eluded to the same issues.   Trying to mix work with study is never easy.  I know this from personal experience when completing my degree with the OU.  I still have a second degree course started with the OU and I doubt this will ever be completed as my life has moved in new directions.  It is hard.

Now the good point for me is that I have recently retired and so have the luxury of being able to commit myself to the course full time.  I also live reasonably close to the university so can pop in to the library at short notice as and when required.   This is not the case for most of my colleagues, although some do work at the DMU but I am sure their day jobs get in the way.  I am not sure what this prattle is saying other than the course demands hard work and having to keep down a job at the same time adds to the pressures.

Back to the images.  I am not sure whether this is just the time of year/age or the course having an effect but I have noticed that I am starting to look at my photographs differently.   It is far too early to quantify this in any meaningful way but it is something that I feel is happening.  I will have to watch this otherwise I will start to be looking at photographs with the intensity and eloquence of Greg Lucas!

Entering the Lions den - should I convert to a MAC?

This really is one of those areas that you tread with trepidation - the Mac's v PC battle.   Both sides have powerful arguments to convince a customer to buy their product.  This of course is a misnomer as there no such thing as a PC side in the same way as there is a Mac side.  Only Apple makes Macs whilst virtually anyone can make a PC.   These are both the strengths and weakness of each product.   Because the Mac is essentially a closed system, i.e. only Apple built products running Apple operating system they tend to be far better coordinated and far less liable to vagaries of the PC world's wonderful driver set up.   To an extent this is now becoming less of a problem but it is still there.   This being said the Macs are more expensive to buy and the software tends to be more restricted and at times slightly more expensive.

So both sides have their pros and cons which leads me to why I am writing this.   I am in the process of replacing my PC.   It is starting to show its age and I am now demanding more and more of it as I deal with larger and larger digital images.  I have put some fixes in to help prolong my system but it is no longer cost effective to carry on this piecemeal  approach.   I am going to replace my PC.   So the question is do I replace my PC with another PC or a Mac.  I asked a colleague from the course his views about using Mac's and I think it is safe to say he is a very keen Mac user.  For him a Mac ticks all the boxes and this certainly gave me some food for thought.   However, having reflected on what was said and then my position I cannot see any sense moving to a Mac.   This does not mean that PC's are better than Macs but rather given my circumstances it is not a cost effective way forward.   The arguments behind this are twofold:

Hardware Costs:  Put simply the cost of a Mac is not competitive with a similar PC (You can say this this now even more so as the many parts within a Mac are the same as a PC.   I know that this is not the totally equation as to why Mac's are more expensive but it is a good place to start.)

Opportunity Costs:  (By this I mean the amount of time I would save and therefore give me the opportunity to do something else than tinker with a computer)  are greater with a Mac than PC.   Let me expand on this a little.   I have been using a DOS based operating system for over 20 years.   I therefore have a significant knowledge base of how PCs work.   This means I understand their little ways a lot better than I do a Mac.  I will give you one small example.   Right Click.   Now this has been a feature with PCs for years and has only more recently become a feature with the Mac.   This means that Mac users tend to use the keyboard and mouse together compared to the PC users, i.e. me.   This is but one example of how the small things make a whole lot of difference.   To a Mac user this is not an issue. To me it is.   This is the problem.  I would have to learn new skills.   These are only small points compared to the system integration that I would have to undertake.   I have written several bespoke programs for myself.  they are vital to the way I work and the thought of having to rewrite these is not worth contemplating.

So having given the matter some thought I cannot see the financial advantage of using a Mac compared to a PC.  This doesn't mean that Macs are bad and PCs are good it just means that for me the cost of moving to a Mac is just too high.

Let the sky fall in on my head.

On final thought.   The browser I use most of the time is Safari.  I think it looks great and most of time works fine.   However, there are times when a web site doesn't work with Safari.  When this happens guess which browser I use.   Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE).   It is perhaps not as beautiful as Safari but always works.   The reason for this is really quite simple.  When you are developing a web site you have to optimize them for different browsers and guess which one is the default - IE.  This doesn't mean I like this it is just a fact of life and I am not that bothered about computers to do anything about it.

Few that felt better!

One final final thought.  I love the ways Mac look, I think they are beautifully designed - almost a work of art.  

On the trail of Winston

What a morning.   I have spent the time writing up my notes about the image I am researching and have got to strange and bizarre details.   I know that there were 43 flash bulbs used and I have been trying to locate each bulb - now that is really sad!   Anyway, it then struck me - link used flash heads that had multiple bulbs in them  - see previous blog picture of Link and his assistant.    Not sure whether I'll use any of this detail but it is interesting to know - well I think so.  What does that say about me?

Fascinating Talk by Roger Taylor

Being a bit of an amateur historian I found the talk given by Roger Taylor  about his work to support the recent major exhibitions and book on the 19th century British photographers fascinating.   I loved the wonderful image of the Houses of Parliament by Roger Fenton - again from a catalogue/book written by Taylor (Note:   Both the links take you the web sites relating to the major exhibitions).   You have to admire the determination and stamina shown by Taylor to finish these major pieces of work.   Overall, another great talk.   There seems to be a pattern forming here - the course staff need to be congratulated on their choice of guests.   Just hope my presentation next week doesn't stink the place out!

Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper

Interesting morning trawling through their collective works. Both have given me insight into the work Winston Link and my other photograph by Neil Liefer. They are intended to examine the concept of the American iconic image. Of the two I have to say I prefer Hopper. His dark brooding images and use of heavy colours really does appeal to me. He was loathed to produce paintings with the detail of Rockwell.

Rockwell on the other hand just couldn't help himself produce a happy painting or print. Even when he was dealing with the civil rights movement, a subject he was passionate about, the subsequent image still has the candyfloss effect (see Southern Justice).

Anyway a good morning in the library - having feed my imagination it is now time to feed by stomach.

O Winston Link and Kite Surfing

(O Winston Link Museum - Property - Do not reuse)

O Winston Link

This man is starting to become imbedded into my psyche at the moment.   He is the photographer that I am researching for my first essay.   Yesterday I spent all the day chasing down facts about the man and his photography.   This was mainly successful - see 21st October blog for details.   Today I am back on his trail.   I will try and find the book previously mentioned but I will also start to research the similarities between Link's images and Norman Rockwell.

On a lighter note I have finally started to work on the kitesurfing  (apologies to kite surfers who I mistakenly called Wind Boarding.   What can I say I got it wrong - sorry.)   I have just posted a new intro image of a kitesurfer on my website.  Over the next few days I hope to develop a new gallery around this fascinating sport.  That is if O Winston Link does not get in the way.   Oh the joys of university life!

Frustration of missing book

The Missing Book

I've spent most of the day getting my research in some semblance of order.   After some initial miss steps I found this really quite useful.   I actually learnt a lot as a result of the process.   Anyway, as a result of this I identified that it would be useful to read/view a book.  I searched the DMU library catalogue and found that there was one copy in the library.  Great.  So I drove into town and went to the library.    You can imagine my surprise and frustration when I found the book was not on the shelf  (That's a polite way of putting it!)   Anyway, I decide to carry out some ancillary research about Edward Hopper and ended up with quite a bit of information and perhaps more importantly a better understanding of what I want to write about.

There are many things that could be written about Hopper's work but the one that really struck me was that much of his work was actually a record of the passage of time as shown on the features of his wife Jo.   Now I am sure this is not an original observation but none the less it was a very vivid revelation for me.   Only four weeks into the MA in photography and I am starting to think like an art historian - not sure whether that's such a good thing.

Another bonus from the trip to library was that I had at least two new ideas for projects/themes I could explore as the course develops.  It will be fun exploring these and many other ideas (both good and bad over the coming months)    Now if I could only find that book...

Back to the grind stone

After a week end spent taking or is that making photographs? I have the fun of having to get back to the research for the MA course.   Actually it is really quite interesting but just now it seems like hard work - especially as there is a beautiful sunrise outside just calling to me to get out and capture it.   Oh the hardship!

Twitching and Photography

Lapland Bunting

Lapland Bunting Twitch

This is not an attack on twitching or bird watching but rather to question what is the purpose of photography and what makes a good photograph.   Anyway to set the scene:  a glorious sunny autumn morning on the north Norfolk coast near to the Titchwell RSPB reserve; sea, beach and sky full of different birds and you come across a group of bird watchers and photographers pointing their cameras at a small patch of beach next to the dunes.   Their backs turned to the beauty all around.  Instead they were concentrating on this small patch of beach because there was a rare bird sitting there.   Welcome to the Lapland Bunting twitch.

The bird itself is nothing special ( I mentioned this to one of the volunteers at the reserve and was put in my place as to how beautiful/attractive/worthwhile it was to see the bird.  I don't think he appreciated my comments!)   This started me to consider why people take photographs and what they consider worthwhile and beautiful.  This is the subject of many books and thesis and I don't think this blog would be able even scratch the surface but it did seem strange to me that you would turn your back on the beautiful seascapes to look at some bird that is stranded a long way from home and most likely never to get back there.   I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

For the record I too went over to see the bird and captured the earth shattering image at the start of this blog.   Also for full disclosure I am a proud member of the RSPB and Wild Fowl and Wetland trust.   I love taking photographs of birds - in fact the reason for me being on that beach was in part to do just that. Its just I like to take images of birds doing something interesting rather than just because it is a rare bird.   I  am sure I am missing the point somewhere along the line.  

Why so many images?

Waterfall - Lathkildale

Having spent the day culling over 2000 images from the weekend shoot I am still trying to answer why I shot so many images.  For this shoot I think the answer can be broken down into the following reasons:

Subject Matter:  The main subject was wildlife, in particular migrating birds.   Because of this you have to shoot a large number of shots to get the image you are looking for.    If you are trying to capture an image of a goose landing then you need to shoot the whole landing and then perhaps choose one or two;

Experimentation:  I was also trying out new approaches and techniques.   This will always be a hit and miss affair and so will lead to a large number of discarded images.  This I guess is the cost of experimentation.

Of course the beauty and perhaps the curse of digital is that you can shoot as many images as you wish.   The real cost of digital is at the start - once you have bought the hardware then the costs are almost negligible.    This reminds me of the old joke about the cost of anew drug. The first tablet costs £700m whilst the second one only costs a penny.  So it is with digital.    Of course it is not that simple but certain types of images generate far more than others.   I would be very surprised if I generated this number of images if I were shooting a landscape - in fact I wouldn't.   Still I think I still need to monitor what I am shooting and why.

Exhausting Work

Horse running along the beach in the evening

I mentioned previously that I took over 3000 images on my recent shoot at Hunstanton and surrounding areas.   Well I just gone through two days worth and have reduced this figure to 1613.   I've only one more day to go which should reduce this again by a half.  So will mean I will have deleted over half of the images I took.    I am wondering why I take so many.   After my next stint at weeding through the images I might return to this theme.

Knott at Snettisham

This is just a very small part of the huge numbers of wading birds - in this case Knot - that congregate at Snettisham.

Geese at Dawn - Snettisham

Just to give you an idea of the number of geese that flew over at dawn.

The Mystery Wind Boarder

This should be the mystery wind boarder I mentioned earlier

Finished Uploading Images

This is a very sad blog...Just uploaded the 3355 images I've just taken over the last 3 days!   This is even more depressing when out of a shoot I only produce 12 - 24 images that I like.  I think there may be a moral there somewhere.

Wind Boarding

Having spent an enjoyable evening and afternoon watching this incredible sport I'm hooked.  Not to take part you understand but to take pictures of the boarders as the skim and slice their way across the surface of the water.   There a friendly bunch too and only too happy to indulge a photographer trying to capture that essential image.

If you the young wind boarder I spoke to and gave my web address to I hope you contact me.  I think I may have some god shots of you.   However, like the dunda head that I am I forgot to get you email details.  What an idiot I am at times! 

Snettisham 17th October 2008

What a wonderful place Snettisham is.   Well, the reserve is a bit of a dump but the birds more than make up for this.   We got there as dawn broke and the sky was a beautiful orange.   The sky was covered with geese leaving their roosts and making their way to nearby fields to feed.   No picture can ever do this justice but I tried anyway.

The RSPB have finally made an effort to make the mile walk from the car park to the reserve passable.  This is important as the average bird watcher/photographer carries a huge amount of kit and walking along a rough path doesn't make things easy.

Once at the reserve there is not a great deal to see.   It is made up of two elements.   Two fresh water lagoons - these were old gravel quarries - and miles of mudflats that are covered by the Wash at High Tide.   At very high spring tides the mudflats disappear under 7+ metres of water.  This means the waders that feed on the mudflats have nowhere to go and so leave the sea and settle by the lagoons.   The number of waders is countless and so they arrive in dense clouds of swirling bobbing bodies.  How they avoid crashing into one another is unknown but they do.   The sight of these cloud moving is stunning and the reason to come the reserve.

Around about an hour after high tide something makes the waders take off and return to the mudflats.   You are the treated to one of the best wild life shows in the Britain as the sky becomes a constellation of birds rushing from the lagoons to return to the mudflats.  The clouds again swirl and gyrate to form intricate shapes and patterns.   To add to the show the plumage of the birds is highlighted by the sun to produce  a mosaic of colours to go with the mystical geometric shapes.   As if to accompany this display the flapping of the wings and the muted call of the birds makes a fantastic orchestral noise that enhances the pleasure.   No one who has witnessed this can help but be dump struck by its brilliance.

This show only last for about ten minutes and the clouds of birds disappear across the sea. Occasional  flurries of birds then sweep across the emerging mudflats but these do not compare with the performance you had just seen.

I hope the images I have captured do justice to this natural spectacle.

Hunstanton

We've just got back from a two day shot at Hunstanton.  It should of been three days but the stay at the Le Strange Hotel was so stressful that we called it a day after two days.   However, the two days were simply brilliant for photographs.  ( I say this when I haven't even started to process the images captured so I may find myself posting another blog retracting all of this.)

The main reason for the visit was to watch and capture the awesome display of birds at Snettisham. (More on this in a subsequent blog).   This didn't disappoint.

The Start of something New?

Well, I've finally done it!  I've joined the blog world (Sphere I think).   The plan is that this blog should act as a diary outlining the work that I am doing etc.   I am sure this is what a lot of people say so nothing original here then.

The blog will no doubt cover my Masters course in photography and all the trials and tribulations involved in that!

Anyway I'm starting to bore myself so I'll just sign off now and hope that should anyone actually read this blog they find it interesting.