Ian Bramham's Photoblog
Sand & Grass
Posted by Ian Bramham (Manchester, United Kingdom) on 25 September 2009 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
Marram grass growing in the coastal sand dunes of NW England.
This is the latest in a mini series of photos from the coastal area of NW England where I was born and spent most of my adult life.
I really liked the contrast in this scene between the light softness of the sand and the dark, hard spikiness of the marram grass. Also, I liked the delicate shadows in the 4 hollows in the sand (I'm aware that some of you may see them as raised mounds!) which I thought added something extra to the photo.
For purchasing high quality archival prints of any of these photos you can send me an email by clicking here or by going to MY NEW WEBSITE where prices are listed in the gallery sections under each individual photo.
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Links to the websites of other photographers whose work I love and who have all helped me enormously over a long period of time. I find the work of all 3 to be inspirational.
Paco Díaz from Palma de Mallorca, Spain
I like very much this compostion and agree with your words about the photo.
The sand has a great quality of detail and light, I like it very much.
Congratulations for this shot.
25 Sep 2009 7:05am
@Paco Díaz: Thanks Paco!
Francine from Buire le sec, France
Just congratutulations, it's the picture I wanted to take......one day, I hope......
25 Sep 2009 8:51am
@Francine: Thanks Francine!
Paolo from Udine, Italy
although it's a little bit grainy I like it very much, in particular the tonal range. these days I'm studying about weston and adams: this phot has the same taste of some of their best wilderness shots.
25 Sep 2009 9:37am
john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States
Terrific composition. Superb tones and detail.
25 Sep 2009 2:11pm
Viewfinder from Bradenton, FL, United States
I like this one a lot; has a resemblance to parts of coastal Florida. It's interesting that the hollows do look like raised mounds to me. Is that a function of the different ways people see things, or an optical illusion, or what?
25 Sep 2009 8:18pm
@Viewfinder: It's just a straightforward optical illusion I think Glenn.....I only saw them as the hollows that I photographed until John Leech told me that he saw them as mounds rather than hollows.....now I can see them either way if I concentrate hard enough.
Anne from White Rock, Canada
Is this up the Coast from Blackpool - like Lytham St. Anne's or somewhere around there? I remember those dunes well with their tufts of grass at the tops. A really great composition of what could look quite ordinary when viewing more than the one! The ripples in the sand lead the eye perfectly! :-)
25 Sep 2009 11:07pm
akarui from Kagoshima, Japan
Beautiful BW picture and design on the sand. I like it very much.
25 Sep 2009 11:48pm
Pavan Kaul from Mumbai, India
I would gladly trade my D 700 for your D 40, if it would help me take pictures such as this! But I doubt that would help:) Just love your work Ian!
26 Sep 2009 3:03am
Ian Smith from London, United Kingdom
It's true, I first thought of them as raised mounds!? Maybe there's something psychological going on here??? Do we (I) always assume light comes from right to left?
An excellent capture, and I love the sharpness of focus and tonality of the light and shadow.
26 Sep 2009 8:15am
Pavan Kaul from Mumbai, India
Sure is Ian, but not as much as you do:) Thank you!
27 Sep 2009 4:58pm
hugo poon from hong kong, Hong Kong
Oh Ian, the forms are just wonderful... the interactions between them and that between the textures are such an appeal!
28 Sep 2009 12:11am
MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany
Quite an amazing shot and filled with contrasts at different levels.
28 Sep 2009 9:44am
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
Wonderful composition and detail. Love the black and white tones!
29 Sep 2009 3:20am
Nikon D40
1/160 second
F/11.0
ISO 200
15 mm (35mm equiv.)