‘Making the Moment’
A short photographic essay
by
James Rainsford
Thanks to Natasha for kindly inviting
me to write a short piece for Snap-Shot-Sunday about my photography.
Those of you who have ever visited my
blog, ‘The Sanctum of Sanity,’ will be aware that I use photographs to enhance
and hopefully illuminate my writing. For me, the power and significance of
photography lies in its ability to freeze forever, a single unrepeatable
moment. To make such moments, requires not only the right photographic
equipment, but also the skills to spot the potential in a particular scene, the
patience to wait and the ability to always be prepared for the unexpected.
I rarely venture out without my
camera and it’s usually around my neck, turned on and ready for instant use. My
favourite camera is my Nikon D 300. It’s superbly built and immensely flexible,
allowing me to change its settings swiftly to suit the subject and the light.
Unless I’m shooting a pre-planned subject such as a landscape or portrait my
lens of choice is my Nikkor 18- 200 mm as it provides the flexibility to shoot
wide-angle and telephoto shots in an instant.
Having learned my photographic skills
in the age of film I try to remember the discipline which film photography
demanded. I don’t fire off hundreds of shots in the hope that one of them
will be good. I always try to take the best shot possible, this not only
produces much more considered results, but also eliminates the need for
extensive post shot photo processing. Of course, digital photography has opened
up photography to many more enthusiasts and has given everyone the power to
manipulate and control their own images to a degree unimaginable a few decades
ago.
The three shots below
illustrate my point about being ready for the unexpected.
 |
| "Reflections" by James Rainsford |
Taken at night at a street market. I spotted the young girls reflection in the mirror. She was looking intently at her mother who was buying a necklace.
 |
| "Seagull & Shadows" by James Rainsford |
This was taken with my Nikon D300 and and shot at a high shutter speed. Again, to capture this kind of action, you just have to be ready.
 |
| "Light in St.Peter's" by James Rainsford |
Here's another example of the necessity to be ready. This shaft of light illuminating visitors to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, lasted but a few seconds.
All three of the above photographs
also illustrate my point about the uniqueness of the moment. These shots are
unrepeatable and freeze forever one instant in time.
Another key element in creating a
memorable image is composition. This is especially true in landscape
photography. I was taught early on the importance of the ‘rule of thirds.’ This
is perfectly illustrated in the following shots taken recently in The English
Lake District.
 |
| "Lake Windermere" by James Rainsford |
Here, the sky forms roughly two thirds of the picture, giving a sense of scale and drama to the scene.
 |
| "Grassmere, The Lakes" by James Rainsford |
In this shot of Grassmere, it is the land which predominates, with the sky forming only a third of the image.
Both the above shots exemplify the
‘rule of thirds’ and illustrate the importance of correctly framing your shot
before pressing the shutter.
In portrait photography I try to use
a narrow depth of field. For this I use my fixed focus Nikkor 85mm f1.4 lens,
which allows me to shoot in low light and to take shots using the available
light, which I always prefer to using flash, as I believe it produces a more
pleasing image. Here are a couple of my portraits illustrating this.
 |
| "Kitten & the Hip in Concert" by James Rainsford |
This
is ‘Kitten & The Hip’ in concert. Shot without flash, with an aperture of
f1.4
It
captures the dramatic lighting and movement of the event.
 |
| "Eva" by James Rainsford |
This
shot of Eva was taken against a black background using light from a window to
the right with a reflector to the left to ensure even illumination of her face.
This
was also shot at f1.4. Don’t be afraid to place your subject off-centre. It can
add real impact to your shot.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this short trip
though some of my photos. Please feel free to use any of them as a prompt for
your own writing. Thanks again to the remarkable Natasha Head for the invite.
Kind regards to all at NWCU,
James
***
Thank you so much James!
You can see more of James Rainsford's fantastic photo's HERE
Let's give James a big NWCU welcome! If you're new, and want to create a response to one of James' amazing photographs...you'll find Mr. Linky ready and waiting. Here's how to play:
- Post your response to your blog. Words, pictures, paint...all mediums are welcome! Include a link to Sunday Snap Shot so friends can find James' wonderful work too :)
- Copy the exact address of your blog post.
- Click Mr. Linky. Here you will be asked to paste your link, add your name and click submit...once you do that...you're in!
- Visit others who are playing. Comment, share, engage.
- Mr. Linky will stay open to Wednesday, so you've lots of time to create.
- Most of all, we thank YOU for joining in.
