Ian Cambourne
May 2023 - Old Sydney
Original
About the Image(s)
A while ago I was putting together a portfolio titled "Sydney Then and Now." The first group of images were going to be taken of our older heritage buildings to represent Sydney as it was 100 years ago, while the second group was going to be taken of our modern concrete and glass buildings, together with the hustle and bustle of our city streets to show Sydney as it is today. This exercise never got finished and has been sitting on the back burner. I'm now thinking of re-visiting it and possibly making it my very first photo book. First part will be B&W images, second part will be colour images. What do people think please?
Details are: Sony a850; Sigma 70-300 lens at 70mm; ISO 200; F9.5 & 1/125th. Processed in LR then PS then Analog Effects in Nik to bring in some scratches and watermarks to give the appearance of an image being a fair age.
10 comments posted
I really like the idea of the old vs new - you do seem to like your projects, which is a different approach to photography than anything I have tried so far. Regarding this image, I was about to mention the dust/scratches, until I saw you had added them. I think it looks very convincing as an old photograph. There is a very slight tilt to the image, which might be part of your 'ageing process', but it's easily corrected if you want to. Good luck with the rest of the project. Posted: 05/05/2023 03:02:43
Thanks for your comments Gordon. Sometimes I like to approach my photography by individual scenes that present themselves to me, while other times I like to go on a mission and capture a group of images all belonging together as a collection. This series is a little challenging because I want nothing in the frame that dates the image. No cars, signage / advertising, people / fashion and particular care must be taken with reflections in any windows. Posted: 05/08/2023 03:46:46
My kind of project! It combines, research, history, photography, computers, and publishing. I have several such projects on the back burners, such as Portraits of Dataw (the island where I live), and Dogs and their People. I'd like to see a New Sydney counterpart. Nice aging of the photo. Posted: 05/05/2023 09:10:04
Thanks Sanford, it's good to have a project or two on the back burners, but it's also good to progress them a little now and then. Maybe you should progress one of yours. Posted: 05/08/2023 03:48:18
Ian, you should work on this project of old vs. new, finish it and publish the book. Doing this type of photography is exciting and generates a lot of ideas as to how you want to capture your subject. There is also frustration in trying to capture and present a subject as you envision it so that others (viewers) feel a connection to your subject matter. Your ideas on how to capture your subject matter (buildings) will most likely change from time to time and what you begin with is not necessarily what you end up with but with time and practice, you will end up with a strong body of work that you will be proud of. I once did a body of work and it was on emotions. In one imageI wanted to convey the feeling of grief and loss of a loved one. I thought to myself, "how am I ever going to do that so that the viewer will understand what I'm trying to say?" One thing I learned from this whole process was not to put roadblocks in my thinking but to let different ideas how to portray my subject matter just flow, and yes I did get my picture. So, Ian, get started. You have a subject matter that you are passionate about and that's a great start! Posted: 05/08/2023 16:57:54
Thanks for your comments Henriette. It must be remembered that our craft of photography is a very subjective one. Every viewer will have a different comment about our images, so at the end of the day, I take and present images that please me. If others also like them, that's just a bonus. Posted: 05/21/2023 02:40:54
I think it would be a great project Ian. I also like the realistic touches you added to your photograph. It is funny you are doing such a project. For several years I have been taking photos of new buildings in Cleveland built right next to a very old building, capturing both in the same shot. I have them sitting in a folder somewhere and add to it every once in a while. Posted: 05/20/2023 15:32:37
Thanks for your comments Jay. I'd like to see a couple of your images. Images incorporating opposites such as old and new in the same frame are always interesting. Posted: 05/21/2023 02:47:18
In Bergerac, France, we have an association that scans the archives of the tobacco and wine museum. We intend to make a common exhibition with the old photos and the work of the photo club which will be to find the stores, the places and to make the portrait in a modern way. I find this interesting. I had a photo of my grandparents in front of their pharmacy and I know that in Bergerac, many merchants posed in front of their stores. It's a very interesting work and moreover it forces a certain rigor of composition and rendering. It is absolutely necessary to continue. Bravo Posted: 05/21/2023 05:04:33
This is a great idea! The older buildings in b&w and would the modern city buildings be in color or b&w? Would you use a texture on all images like you did here? Posted: 05/27/2023 10:04:20